Nous, princesses de Clèves
Régis Sauder
2010 - 69 min - DVC Pro - Couleur - France

The story takes place in 1558, at the court of Henry the second.
Mademoiselle de Chartres, young sixteen years old orphan, raised by her mother, appears for the first time at the royal court. The Prince of Clèves, dazzled by her beauty and her manners, asks her to marry him. Shortly after, the new Princess of Clèves encounters the Duke of Nemours... but too late. They both immediatly fall in love. Her mother begs her to renounce to her passion.
In 2009, at Marseille, some High school students take possession of "La Princesse de Clèves" – the first modern novel of French Literature – in order to talk about themselves, about the love and about society. They use either their own words, either the text itself or the language they are supposed to master for the end of year exam. Gradually, some magical moments arraise where literature and life subtily mix. The novel inspires a new perception of one’s existence, its dilemnas, its renouncements.