A 68-year-old dancer moves through Paris like gravity owes him money.
The portrait of an extraordinary French dancer-choreographer: Jean Babilée (1923-2014) is filmed at home, in the streets of Paris, at the Opera Garnier or at the Champs-Élysées Theater, “always caught, even in his kitchen, in full body work”.
Cinematography
Klein captures movement in cramped kitchens and grand stages with equal reverence.
Direction
William Klein refuses to separate the legend from the man making coffee.
Acting
Babilée's body speaks decades of training—no dialogue required.
Director
William Klein
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
William Klein was primarily a fashion photographer and rarely made documentaries—this was his return to filming after nearly two decades.
Babilée was a Resistance fighter during WWII; his dancing career began post-liberation, making his physical persistence at 68 a quiet political statement.
FR
