Barbara

Barbara is a 2017 French drama with musical elements, written and directed by Mathieu Amalric and dedicated to the celebrated French singer Barbara. Rather than telling a straightforward biopic, the film centers on Brigitte, an actress preparing to play the singer on screen; as she meticulously studies Barbara's gestures, voice and songs, the boundary between her own identity and the persona she embodies gradually dissolves.

Jeanne Balibar stars as Brigitte opposite Amalric as the director Yves Zand, with Vincent Peirani, Aurore Clément and Grégoire Colin also in the cast. The 97-minute film had its world premiere on 18 May 2017 as the opening film of the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, and was released in France on 6 September 2017. It won the Louis Delluc Prize, while Balibar received the César Award for Best Actress for her performance.