The Girl is a 2000 American/French romantic drama film directed by Sande Zeig. It is a love story set in Paris between "the Artist" and "the Girl", based on a story by Zeig's partnerMonique Wittig. It was negatively received by critics.
Plot
The film is narrated by Agathe De La Boulaye as "The Artist". She is obsessed with a nightclub singer whom she calls "The Girl". One night the girl takes the artist to the hotel where she lives and they make love. The girl, who does not usually sleep with women, tells the artist that it is "just one night" but they begin seeing each other. The girl continues to see men and the artist has a long term lover, Bu Savè, who accepts the artist's obsession. The artist draws and paints the girl, but gradually grows frustrated with her work. She notices a man watching her and the girl. The man behaves aggressively and possessively towards the girl. He starts following the artist and sends threatening letters to the girl telling her to get rid of the artist. The girl refuses. The man follows the artist and tries to attack her. The artist asks advice from Bu Savè, who gives her a gun. When the artist cannot find the girl, she discovers that she has gone away with the man, who turns out to be the owner of the nightclub where the girl sings. When the man and the girl return, the artist gives the girl the gun. The artist gets beaten up by the man and his friend. Later when she goes to meet the girl at the hotel, she finds the man there, naked and asleep. She leaves. The next day she returns and tells the girl that she is leaving her. The artist puts all her energy into her painting. One day she goes back to the hotel. As she climbs the stairs, she hears gunshots. She finds the man dead and the girl with a gunshot wound to her side.
Cast
Claire Keim as The Girl, a nightclub jazz singer. The narrator calls her "Agnus Dei".
Agathe De La Boulaye as The Narrator, and artist. The girl calls her "Lover".
Cyril Lecomte as The Man, owner of the nightclub where the girl sings. He has a past with the girl and tries to stop her seeing the narrator.
Sandra Nkake as Bu Savè, the narrator's long-term lover.
The Girl was based on a short story of the same name by Zeig's partner French writer and theorist Monique Wittig. It was Wittig's first English language story. The screenplay was written by Wittig and Zeig. Zeig, an American, said of her decision to shoot the film in France, "I don't feel like an American independent filmmaker. I'm just not inspired to shoot in America with American stories."
