Olivia is a real find, a newly rediscovered French drama from 1951 about Sapphic undercurrents at an elite boarding school for girls. Framed as an intense competition between two rival headmistresses (Edwige Feuillere and Simone Simon) for the attention of their teenage wards, the film explores notions that were strictly taboo at the time with taste and restraint. It is the work of Jacqueline Audry, the first successful female director of post-WWII France. Icarus Films and Distrib Films US acquired and restored it in collaboration with Les Films de la Pleiade and Les Films du Jeudi. Its premiere at the Laemmle Royal marks the first time it has been seen for nearly 70 years.

Fri., Aug. 30, -Thurs. Sept. 5, various showtimes. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd. https://www.laemmle.com/film/olivia

 

 

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