Unable to consummate her marriage, the beautiful yet distant young Séverine (Catherine Deneuve), wife of the wealthy Dr. Pierre Serizy (Jean Sorel), is overcome with kink fantasies. To explore her sexuality, Séverine begins working at an upscale brothel during the afternoons as their “beauty of the day” while her husband is at the office. Through Séverine, Luis Buñuel delves into the complexities of desire and identity, adding his signature touch of surrealism to her fantasies. Like many of Buñuel’s other works, Belle de Jour skewers bourgeoise hypocrisy while challenging societal norms.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.