The lacemaker

‘Beatrice, aged 18, is an apprentice at a Parisian hairdressing salon. She leads a secluded life with her single mother; her only friend is a colleague with a lively love life. Whilst on holiday together by the sea, Beatrice meets and falls in love with François, a philosophy student from a more affluent background. She moves in with him in Paris, renovating the flat and running the household. But François soon begins to feel uneasy. He is embarrassed by his girlfriend’s social status and lack of education. He prepares to break up with Beatrice … ‘I’ll never figure out what you’re thinking.’ In her first international cinematic success, Isabelle Huppert portrays, with simplicity and reserve, a young woman who is broken by her first love as a ‘sufferer’ – with freckles, stubborn red hair and an almost childlike seriousness. La dentellière is both a prophecy and a promise. ‘She was one of those who want to be explored, whom one must look at closely,’ reads the film’s final line. It also refers to the young actress, who had previously gazed unflinchingly into the camera for several minutes.” (Berlinale)