The Film:

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (French: Les Parapluies de Cherbourg) is a 1964 French/German international co-production musical film directed by Jacques Demy, starring Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo. The music was written by Michel Legrand. The film dialogue is all sung as recitative, even the most casual conversation (similar in style to an opera).

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg won 5 Awards including La Palme d’Or at Cannes Festival in 1964 and had 7 Nominations.

 

Synopsis:

This is the story of 16 year-old Genevieve and 20 year-old Guy who are very much in love. Her kindly mother, who runs an umbrella shop, won’t hear of her marrying, particularly as Guy has yet to complete his compulsory military service. Genevieve is heartbroken when he leaves for his army service in colonial Algeria and is upset to have received only one letter from him in two months. She’s also pregnant. Her mother has a solution to the situation in the form of diamond merchant Roland Cassard who has helped them out in the past. Roland is a kind man who accepts to raise Genevieve’s child as his own. By the time Guy returns from Algeria Genevieve is married and the umbrella shop has been sold. Several years later, they meet again.