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Acclaimed French actress Catherine Deneuve has signed on to star in director Léa Domenach’s latest project, a medieval musical titled “Peau d’Homme” (A Man’s Skin), which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The role of a “punk fairy godmother” proved immediately appealing to Deneuve, who previously collaborated with Domenach on the film “Bernadette” three years ago. Deneuve praised the script’s originality and playful approach, describing the overall experience as enjoyable and musically inventive.
Set in 15th-century Europe, the film follows protagonist Blanche, a young woman who acquires a magical transformation ability that allows her to experience life as a man named Léonard. Through this fantastical premise, the story explores the freedoms and opportunities historically unavailable to women. The screenplay, adapted from a graphic novel by Hubert and Zanzim, was developed by Domenach and co-writer Clemence Dargent. Rather than maintaining the source material’s tone, Domenach deliberately shifted the project toward comedy to make its serious themes more accessible to broader audiences.
The film tackles weighty social issues including religious extremism, homophobia, sexism, and environmental crisis, yet frames them within a comedic narrative designed to resonate with contemporary audiences. Several characters contain deliberate political references, most notably a religious fanatic character that director Domenach explicitly compares to various populist political figures worldwide. The production reunites major French producers and distributors, with the film closing Venice’s Giornate degli Autori section.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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