Bilitis (1977)

That exact exquisite moment of a young girl’s awakening.

Cult favorite Patti D’Arbanville (Andy Warhol’s Flesh, Big Wednesday and Rancho Deluxe) essays the title role in Bilitis, the directorial debut of photographer David Hamilton. Based on the erotic nineteenth century poetry of Pierre Louÿs, the film’s script was co-written by filmmaker and novelist Catherine Breillat (A Real Young Girl and Fat Girl). Spending the summer in the French countryside with elegant and beautiful family friend Barbara (Mona Kristensen), young Bilitis comes of age and learns valuable—if sometimes painful—lessons about intimacy, romance and love. D’Arbanville, who had been part of Warhol’s Factory and was the inspiration for some of Cat Stevens’ most beloved songs, effectively plays the sheltered young woman who becomes steadily wiser as the story progresses. The film is considerably elevated by the sumptuous score by famed French composer Francis Lai (Love Story and A Man and a Woman), which became a worldwide best-selling record. Hamilton’s trademark soft focus photographic style is faithfully rendered on film by the cinematography of Bernard Daillencourt (Walerian Borowczyk’s Immoral Tales, La Marge and The Beast). Bilitis has been richly restored in 4K, from the original camera negative, for this first-ever North American Blu-ray edition.

Directed by: David Hamilton
Starring: Patti D'Arbanville, Mona Kristensen, Bernard Giraudeau 
1977 / 95 min / 1.66:1 / French & English Mono