In June 1974, the soft-core French film “Emmanuelle” hit the screen, shaking up the history of the free world. With this debut feature, Just Jaeckin thought he was just making a low-budget, confidential film. Yet, it sold 50 million tickets worldwide and was played for 13 years on the Champs-Elysees theater, provoking both excitement and shock.
How did this filmmaker, so modest as to look away from his actresses during nude scenes, become the pope of eroticism in spite of himself? How did this film, shot on a shoestring, turn him into a world-famous director and a pariah of French cinema?
50 years after its release, “Emmanuelle” remains a mythical feature. Through numerous interviews, this documentary takes a closer look at its creator Just Jaeckin, who was behind the invention of pleasure in French cinema.
Direction: Charles Antoine de Rouvre
Production: La Compagnie des Taxi-Brousse & Rappi Productions for Paris Première