Jacques Demy was a groundbreaking French filmmaker, screenwriter, and lyricist, celebrated for his enchanting musical films that blended whimsy, romance, and melancholy. A key figure in the French New Wave, Demy distinguished himself through his vibrant visuals, emotionally rich storytelling, and especially through his outstanding use of music for the cinema.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, Jacques Demy directed short films and his debut feature, Lola (1961), a melancholic drama starring Anouk Aimée that was funded by the French New Wave’s iconic producer, Georges de Beauregard. Though not a commercial hit, Lola showcased his signature themes (fate, longing, musicality) as well as his interest in creating visual poetry. He also worked as an assistant director for animator Paul Grimault and documentarian Georges Rouquier, honing his craft before achieving international fame.
His most iconic work remains The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), which revolutionized the film industry with its entirely sung dialogue and lush pastel aesthetic. Starring a young Catherine Deneuve, it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and remains a landmark in musical cinema — a bittersweet fusion of operatic grandeur and intimate drama.
Though later films never quite matched The Umbrellas of Cherbourg‘s acclaim, Demy continued to create ambitious, original works. The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) reunited him with Deneuve, this time alongside her real-life sister, Françoise Dorléac. This vibrant seaside tale of love and longing featured Danielle Darrieux as their mother and epitomized Demy’s characteristic blend of joy and melancholy. While beloved, it never reached the iconic status of its predecessor. Yet The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’s influence endures: Damien Chazelle cited it as key inspiration for La La Land (2016), and Greta Gerwig echoed its candy-colored romanticism in Barbie (2023).
Demy never publicly identified as bi. However, his wife, acclaimed director Agnès Varda (whom he married in 1962), later confirmed his bisexuality, acknowledging challenges in their marriage, including a period in the 1980s when they lived separately in the same neighborhood. It is also known that in his youth, Demy had relationships with both men and women, including a romance with a man named Michel.
Tragically, Demy died of AIDS-related complications in 1990 at just 59. Varda completed Jacquot de Nantes (1991), a tender portrait of his childhood in wartime France, mere weeks before his passing.
Today, Demy’s legacy thrives. His dreamlike visuals and emotional depth continue to inspire artists across mediums, cementing his status as a singular, pioneering bi auteur.