Sebastien Lifshitz‘ latest documentary titled Bambi is having its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale.
Documentary – not exactly something we’re usually interested in around here, but this one is a touching biographical portrait of one (very) special lady, so we definitely think it deserves your full attention.
Jean-Pierre Pruvot – anyone out there familiar with this name? Or, should I say: Marie-Pierre Pruvot? Does it ring any bells? Let’s face it – this probably means nothing to you.
But, we’re actually talking about a French transsexual woman who performed under the stage name Bambi in a transgender showgirl revue at Le Carrousel de Paris for approximately 20 years!
Lifshitz’ documentary is all about the extraordinary life of the French music-hall star and a transsexual pioneer (just try to imagine her life during the 1950’s). I have a feeling that this film is not something like – “hey, let me shock you with this guy/girl”, simply because there’s so much more about this controversial woman than that transsexual part. She quietly acquired university degrees at the Sorbonne in Paris and then went into stealth-mode, becoming a professor of literature and a writer.
But, here’s the official synopsis of Lifshitz’s film:
Bambi has been perpetual reinvention – from her childhood in Algeria through her Parisian cabaret period to her 25 years as a public school French teacher. An inspirational life of determination illustrated by archive footage gathered from a super-8 diary Bambi kept for some thirty years, personal photographs and current footage. Bambi was born in 1935 as a boy named Jean-Pierre…
Unfortunately, we have just these images to share with you today, but as soon as some clip arrives – we’ll be back!
