Barbara

She sits at the piano in a black top with long puffy sleeves, a black feather boa, and heavy eyeliner. She has the airs and graces of an extravagant diva. And she sings. She is Barbara, the French chanson legend (1930–1997). But she is also the brilliant Jeanne Balibar, playing actress Brigitte, who has the leading role in a biopic, with Mathieu Amalric playing its director Yves Zand, depicting himself as a fan. He’s not the only one in thrall to her though: the longer the shoot progresses, the more Brigitte’s character and role merge. The virtuoso interweaving of film-in-film scenes and documentary material places less of a focus on biographical details then on the sheer impact of music. A tribute to Balibarbara. (bik)