Paris Was a Woman **** (1996, voice of Juliet Stevenson) – Classic Movie Review 13,540

Juliet Stevenson narrates director Greta Schiller’s endearing 1996 documentary feature film Paris Was a Woman about the female artists, writers, photographers and designers in Paris in the inter-war years.

Juliet Stevenson narrates director Greta Schiller’s endearing 1996 documentary feature film Paris Was a Woman about the female artists, writers, photographers and designers in Paris in the inter-war years, many of them lesbians, many of them American ex-pats, with Gertrude Stein, Colette and Alice B Toklas to the fore. But also less familiar names such as Berenice Abbott, Gisele Freund, Djuna Barnes, Natalie Barney, Sylvia Beach, Adrienne Monnier, and Janet Flanner.

This intelligent, affecting film is very, very well done indeed, with some intriguing tales and moving moments in interviews, and fascinating archival footage of home movies and old photographs, that provides a treasure trove of information.

Written by Andrea Weiss and shot by Nurit Aviv, it is like somebody’s personal snapshot album, except interesting.

By the way, some famous men turn up in Paris too, such as Matisse, Picasso, Hemingway, and James Joyce.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,540

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com