ROSA LA ROSE, FILLE PUBLIQUE

“The absolute, quaking terror that descends on Marianne Basler's face when Rosa touches, for the first time, a pleasure deeper and more vital than her everyday happiness is one of the truest things in movies.” - Evan Morgan, Letterboxd

Barely screened in North America outside of a small number of ‘80s festival appearances, Paul Vecchiali’s effortless ROSA LA ROSE has a kinetic flow that’s something to behold. On the streets of Paris, Rosa (Marianne Basler, VA SAVOIR) is the belle of Les Halles. With no shortage of clients, she’s beloved by her fellow working girls and spoiled by her pimp Gilbert (Jean Sorel, BELLE DE JOUR). For her, this is a charmed life – until her 20th birthday arrives. Across the floor, she locks eyes with a blue-collar worker who sees something deeper beyond her fun-loving façade. Shakespearean in its execution, Vecchiali’s vastly underseen drama explores class consciousness and female sexuality with startling precision.