Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet is enjoying a meteoric rise. Revealed in Critics’ Week in 2021 via Anaïs in Love, the filmmaker is now returning to the Croisette, but this time in the big league since her second feature, A Woman's Life, will be taking part in the Official Competition of the 79th Cannes Film Festival (running 12 to 23 May).

Stealing focus in the cast are Léa Drucker (awarded the 2019 and 2026 Best Actress Césars thanks to Custody and Case 137, and nominated for the same prize in 2024) and Mélanie Thierry (nominated for the Best Actress César in 2019 and 2026 via Memoir of War and Mariana’s Room, as well as in 2017 and 2018 in the Best Supporting Role category; starring in Mrs., Morlaix and C’est quoi l’amour ? this year, and also gracing Cannes thanks to Le journal d’une femme de chambre). They’re joined by Charles Berling (nominated for the Best Actor César four times between 1997 and 2001, and soon to be seen in Milo and Une affaire turque in the second half of the year), Belgium’s Laurent Capelluto (awarded the René for Best Supporting Role in 2014, 2016 and this year thanks to We Believe You), Marie-Christine Barrault (nominated for the Best Actress Oscar in 1977 thanks to Cousin, Cousin and recently at her best in Per il mio bene) and Suzanne de Baecque (Jim’s Story, Drifting Laurent).

Written by the director (in collaboration with Fanny Burdino), the story revolves around 55-year-old Gabrielle who throws herself heart and soul into her job. A surgeon and head of department in a public hospital, she runs around in all directions and wears a multitude of hats, plagued with responsibilities. She doesn’t have much time for a private life, consisting of a husband who loves her and a mother she has to look after. When a novelist spends a few weeks in the department for the purpose of writing a book, she starts to lose her grip. Is there a place for the unexpected in Gabrielle’s day-to-day life?

A Woman's Life was produced by David Thion on behalf of Les Films Pelléas (with Philippe Martin as associate producer), in co-production with Arte France Cinéma, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, La Femme Qui Aimait Les Films and Belgian firm Versus Production (Jacques-Henri Bronckart and Tatjana Kozar). Pre-purchased by Arte, Canal+ and Ciné+ OCS, the feature film boasts Noé Bach (Wild Diamond, Animalia and Elephants in the Fog which will also be presented in Cannes, within the Un Certain Regard section) as director of photography, with editing entrusted to Clément Pinteaux (All We Imagine As Light). World sales are steered by Be For Films while distribution in French cinemas will fall to Pyramide as of 9 September.

For the record, Les Films Pelléas will also be attending Cannes with this year’s opening film, The Electric Kiss by Pierre Salvadori, while overseeing post-production on Orange Flavoured Wedding by Christophe Honoré and on Emily Atef’s co-production Call Me Queen. That’s without forgetting their documentaries Nous l’orchestre by Philippe Béziat and Le chantier by Jean-Stéphane Bron, which are hitting French cinemas on 22 April and 6 May respectively.