French Film Review: A Radiant Girl

Paris, summer 1942. Irene (Rebecca Marder) is a vibrant 19-year-old aspiring actress without a care in the world. She is rehearsing for the entrance exam to the coveted Conservatory, making new friends and discovering love, without realising that time is running out in Nazi-occupied France.

In turns enchanting and devastating, Kiberlain’s drama, which she also wrote, is not a traditional Holocaust narrative, but a coming-of-age tale about the freedoms of youth amidst a changing world, with a star-making performance by Marder. The film shows the dangers of complacency in the face of fascism, as well as moments of beauty found in the hardest of circumstances.

Director: Sandrine Kiberlain
Starring: Rebecca Marder