France 1966, “Rosalie” (original title) 15 min, b&w, French dir Walerian Borowczyk sc Walerian Borowczyk, based on a short story by Guy de Maupassant cam Yann le Masson ed Catherine Kelber sound Jacques Boujon cast Ligia prod Dominique Duvergé pc Pantaléon Films sales Fiends’s of Walerian Borowczyk: Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin aw Berlin IFF 1966: Silver Bear, Locarno IFF 1966: Special Mention, Cracow FF 1967: Golden Dragon
Of all his films, Borowczyk’s favourite was Rosalie. Based on a short story by Guy de Maupassant, Borowczyk relates the plight of a servant girl who killed and buried her child in the garden. Featuring a profoundly touching performance by Ligia Borowczyk, once again Borowczyk uses animated objects to relate (horrific) action indirectly. An over-exposed, chiaroscuro image gives the proceedings an ethereal quality halfway between one of Beckett’s monologues and David Lynch’s Eraserhead.