Celebrated photographer David Hamilton made his directorial debut with the story of an innocent and beautiful young girl called Bilitis (former model Patti D’Arbanville who inspired the Cat Stevens song Lady D’Arbanville) and her first sensual summer of love and sexual awakening.
Her widowed father has arranged for her to spend the summer with Melissa Demarne (Mona Kristensen) and her husband Pierre (Gilles Kohler). It isn’t long before Bilitis discovers a strong attraction to Melissa, as well as to a young photographer named Lucas (Bernard Giraudeau).
World-famous for his sensual photography, Hamilton set the film in Provence (France) where he lived at the time, taking the story from Les Chansons De Bilitis – a collection of erotic (essentially lesbian) poems published by French writer Pierre Louÿs in 1894.
The film’s superb visuals (photographed by Bernard Daillencourt) are complemented by an outstanding musical score written by Francis Lai.
The imagery of the film is typical Hamilton imagery, built upon his usual theme of the fragile but fascinating beauty of young girls.
Bilitis
Patti D’Arbanville
Melissa Demarne
Mona Kristensen
Pierre Demarne
Gilles Kohler
Lucas
Bernard Giraudeau
Nikias
Mathieu Carrière
Prudence
Irka Bochenko
Head Mistress
Jacqueline Fontaine
Sub-Principal
Marie-Thérèse Caumont
Principal
Germaine Delbat
Nanny
Madeleine Damien
Susy
Camille Larivière
Helene
Catherine Leprince
Director
David Hamilton