Bambi

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Bambi was born Jean-Pierre Pruvot in a tiny Algerian village in 1935. Even as a child,she refused to meet the expectations of her extended family, choosing instead to find a way to become the woman she always knew herself to be. A Cabaret Carrousel de Paris performance in Algiers in the 1950s proved to be all the encouragement she needed to emigrate to the French capital, assume the stage name of ‘Bambi’ and lead the life she longed for on the music-hall stages. Jean-Pierre, known since then as Marie-Pierre, is now 77 years old. Hers is a story of deep-seated confusion, painful rejection and impassioned courage. An impressive collage of photographs and chansons, archive footage, excerpts from feature films, Super-8 clips and visits to the places of her childhood provides a sensitive chronicle of her liberating transformation into a radiant transsexual woman. Stops along the way include her first love, her friendship with fellow artiste Coccinelle, her experiments with hormones, her rivals and scandals, the story of how she became a writer – and her surprising encounter with the love of her life.
Videos & Links
Interview with Sébastien Lifshitz
27. Teddy Award on YouTube
Blog Sébastien Lifshitz

details

  • Runtime

    60 min
  • Country

    France
  • Year of Presentation

    2013
  • Year of Production

    2012
  • Director

    Sébastien Lifshitz
  • Cast

    Marie-Pierre Pruvot
  • Production Company

    UN MONDE MEILLEUR
  • Berlinale Section

    Panorama
  • Berlinale Category

  • Teddy Award Winner

    Best Documentary/ Essay Film

Biography Sébastien Lifshitz

Born in Paris, France in 1968, he studied history of art and worked in the world of contemporary art before turning to film. In 2000 he scored an international theatrical hit with his debut feature film, the coming out story Presque rien. His first feature-length documentary, La traversée, premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. His films have already screened three times in the Berlinale Panorama: in 2004, his feature film Wild Side won the Teddy Award; Plein sud screened in 2010 and his documentary, Bambi, in 2013.

Filmography Sébastien Lifshitz

1994 Il Faut Que Je L‘Aime | 1995 Claire Denis, La Vagabonde | 1998 Les Corps Ouverts | 1999 Les Terres Froides | 2000 Presque Rien | 2002 La Traversee | 2012 Les Invisibles | 2020 Petite Fille