Sounding Cinema returns to the immersive musicals of Jacques Demy, exploring the serious whimsy and peculiar pairs of The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). Join Abbie McLaren, Caleb Payne, and Nathan Platte as we discuss the ways in which Demy’s film, Michel Legrand's music, and Agnès Varda’s documentary about the film play with and against the formula of the Hollywood studio musical.

Special thanks to: Samuel Ross, who wrote and recorded original and adapted music for the episode. Erika Chagdes, who helped with production preparation. Abbie McLaren, who designed our episode artwork.

More about the team:

Erika Chagdes graduated from the University of Iowa in 2024 with a BA in Cinema. She is excited to pursue a career in filmmaking.

Abbie McLaren is a University of Iowa student with a double major in Cinema and Journalism and Mass Communication (production and design track). After graduating in 2025, she plans to pursue film professionally through work or graduate studies.

Caleb Payne graduated from the University of Iowa in 2024 with a BA in Cinema. He plans to attend a graduate-level studio art program in the future.

Sam Ross is a University of Iowa student drawn to both film and music. A Cinema major, Sam also composes, writes film music, and enjoys playing piano and bass.

Resources:

Rick Altman, “From Homosocial to Heterosexual: The Musical’s Two Projects,” in The Sound of Musicals, edited by Steven Cohan (London: British Film Institute, 2010), 19–29.

Andrea Bravo, “‘Have you found her yet?’: The Dream World of Jacques Demy’s ‘The Young Girls of Rochefort.’” UF Prism, 7 March 2023, https://ufprism.com/2023/03/07/have-you-found-her-yet-the-dream-world-of-jacques-demys-the-young-girls-of-rochefort.

Jacques Demy, director, The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), Criterion Blu-Ray/DVD, https://www.criterion.com/films/28615-the-young-girls-of-rochefort. (Includes Agnès Varda’s 1993 documentary, The Young Girls Turn 25.)

Michel Legrand, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, Ecoutez le Cinèma, 5 CDs, 2017, https://www.discogs.com/release/11630978-Michel-Legrand-Jacques-Demy-Les-Demoiselles-De-Rochefort.