History erased her name. This film finally gives her a voice.
The story, hidden by historians and biographers, of Jeanne, a black woman, whose real name is unknown, who was the muse and companion of the mythical French poet Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867).
Direction
Abadia refuses to invent Jeanne — honors her unknowability.
Writing
Narration that questions its own authority. Rare humility.
Director
Régine Abadia
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Régine Abadia spent four years in French colonial archives; every 'Jeanne' reference she found was actually a white woman with the same name. The real Jeanne appears only in Baudelaire's debts.
The film sparked debate in France about 'canceling' Baudelaire versus contextualizing him — Mata Gabin's narration was recorded after she initially refused, demanding the script acknowledge French Haitian complicity.
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