The blossoming friendship between a gauche, highly opinionated country girl and a more laid-back Parisian student lies at the heart of Eric Rohmer’s delightful, summery charmer.

Two young girls, one from the country and one from the city, form a fast and intense alliance, shortly after meeting on a deserted country road. Reinette (Joëlle Miquel)is an eccentric, albeit socially awkward girl with dreams of becoming a painter. Mirabelle (Jessica Forde) is a cooler-headed, sophisticated Parisian who decides to take in Reinette to help her realise her dream as an art student. When the two unite, an extraordinary dynamic sparks and this seemingly slight, comic character study emerges as a delightful observation on how we respond to nature, city life, money, injustice and language.

Vintage Rohmer, this summery slice of life was made quickly on a tiny budget during a break in the production of another of his masterworks, The Green Ray. Shot through with wit and rife with the chatter of articulate youth, an summer afternoon spent watching the budding connection between these two extremely and comedically different young women is a total delight.

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