Essential Arthouse: Donkey Skin (1970)

Essential Arthouse 2026

In this lovingly crafted, wildly eccentric adaptation of a classic French fairy tale, Jacques Demy casts Catherine Deneuve as a princess who must go into hiding as a scullery maid in order to fend off an unwanted marriage proposal—from her own father, the king (Jean Marais). A topsy-turvy riches-to-rags fable with songs by Michel Legrand, Donkey Skin creates a tactile fantasy world that’s perched on the border between the earnest and the satiric, and features Delphine Seyrig in a delicious supporting role as a fashionable fairy godmother. [Janus]

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Jean Marais, Jacques Perrin
Director: Jacques Demy
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Musical, Romance