Love, music and that certainje ne sais quoiis in the air this month, as the Cinematheque Ontario unveils a retrospective of theFrench New WavedirectorJacques Demy.

Demy was director of films that pushed the boundaries of sound andmise-en-scene, beginning with his musical without music,Lola, the musicalLes Demoiselles de Rochefortand his colourful film whereeveryline of dialogue is sung (the ultimate musical),The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

I've pondered the decision to name the retrospective "Bitter/Sweet" since I started writing this post. Theretrospective pageexplains this choice of words as a way to suggest how Demy was overlooked as an influential director due to his style. Some would come to mistake the elegance and opulence in his films for frivolity and his character's flair as coverings for empty personages, misreading the films entirely.

Demy, with his stylistic eye, would often create cinematic worlds all of their own, worlds just beyond our reality. While he usually removed his films from delivering political messages, his characters were often grounded in reality where politics (social and governing) and history would affect them. To put it plainly, he was one of the more visual directors of the French New Wave period, more of aTruffautthan aGodard..

Bitter/Sweet begins tonight, Friday February 15th with Demy's short filmLustfollowed by his first feature filmLolaand continues through to the final screening ofLe Naissance de Jouron Sunday March 16th.

Due to high demand, the Cinematheque has added a second screening ofLolafor March 2nd.

Image ofPeau d'ane/The Donkey SkinfromAllocine.fr