The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Set in the coastal town of Cherbourg, the film follows Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve), a teenage girl who works in her mother’s umbrella shop, and Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), a young auto mechanic. The two are deeply in love, but their relationship is abruptly interrupted when Guy is drafted to fight in the Algerian War. Before he leaves, Geneviève becomes pregnant, and the couple promises to remain faithful despite the separation.

As time passes, distance, uncertainty, and social pressures begin to erode their idealistic romance. Geneviève’s mother, concerned about stability and reputation, encourages her to consider a wealthy and kind suitor, Roland Cassard (Marc Michel). Meanwhile, Guy faces hardship and loss during and after the war, returning home emotionally and financially strained.

What makes the film unique is that every line of dialogue is sung, with a lush, continuous score composed by Michel Legrand. Combined with its bold, color-saturated production design, the film creates a heightened emotional atmosphere. Rather than delivering a conventional fairy-tale ending, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg offers a bittersweet, realistic portrayal of how love can be shaped—and sometimes undone—by time, choices, and circumstance.

NOTE: This season we are doing Staff’s Pick programming for film. Watch for selections from Paul Mahder, Jonathan Wind, and Erin Partridge.