One Sings, the Other Doesn't

One Sings, the Other Doesn't

Company type	Motion picture
Industry	Film
Founded	1977
Founder	Agnès Varda
Products	Film

One Sings, the Other Doesn't () is a 1977 French motion picture scripted and directed by Agnès Varda, chronicling the lives of two women over a span of 14 years during the women's movement of the 1970s.

Plot

Set in 1962 Paris, Pauline, a 17-year-old student, reconnects with her childhood friend Suzanne, who is raising two children with her partner Jerôme and expecting a third. Facing financial hardship and unable to support another child, Suzanne accepts monetary assistance from Pauline to obtain an illegal abortion. This event prompts Pauline to leave her family home and pursue a career as a singer. Following Jerôme's suicide, Suzanne retreats to her parents' farm, confronting societal judgment due to her status as an unwed mother.

A decade later, the two women cross paths again at a 1972 demonstration in Bobigny advocating for the right to abortion. Pauline, now known as "Pomme," performs with a feminist folk ensemble while living with Darius, a graduate student from Amsterdam. Suzanne has moved away from her parents' farm, acquired typing skills, and established a family planning center in Hyères. They stay connected through exchanging postcards. Pauline relocates to Darius's homeland of Iran, marries him, and becomes pregnant. When their relationship deteriorates, she returns to France to give birth at Suzanne's clinic. She consents to Darius taking their son back to Iran on the condition that he impregnates her once more. Expecting again, Pomme recommences her musical career. Suzanne marries a local physician after an unsatisfactory relationship with a sailor. The film concludes with Pomme, Suzanne, their families, and friends gathering by the seaside.

Cast

• Valérie Mairesse as Pomme (Pauline)
• Thérèse Liotard as Suzanne
• Robert Dadiès as Jérôme
• Ali Rafie as Darius
• Jean-Pierre Pellegrin as Dr. Pierre Aubanel

The singing group Orchidee, featuring Pomme, includes Joëlle Papineau, Micou Papineau, and Doudou Greffier.

Production

Filming took place in 1976. As Pomme and Suzanne communicate through letters and postcards, their messages are delivered via voice-over by the actresses themselves, with Varda providing narration to link their narratives. The protest sequence depicting their reunion reconstructs an authentic 1970s French demonstration held during the trial of a woman prosecuted for having an abortion after rape. Varda cast nonprofessional actors alongside human-rights lawyer Gisèle Halimi, who defended the case, in this scene. Women in the crowd display banners endorsing the 343, notable women including Varda who publicly confessed to illegal abortions in 1971.

While not classified as a conventional musical, the film incorporates theatrical set pieces and musical performances featuring lyrics penned by Varda. The closing scene includes Varda’s daughter, Rosalie Varda-Demy, while earlier sequences showcase her son, Mathieu Demy, portraying the boy Zorro.

Critical reception

Upon release, critical responses were mixed; it currently holds a 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The general consensus acknowledges its daring depiction of female camaraderie intertwined with the feminist movement.

Roger Ebert awarded it four stars, commending its straightforward approach and feminist themes expressed through poetic storytelling rather than overt didacticism:

Varda’s title aptly captures two friends—one who sings and one who does not—yet remain lifelong sisters. The film’s closing moments blend generations warmly through song, subtly promoting feminism via lyricism instead of dogma.

Justin Chang from the Los Angeles Times described it as a softly shaped exploration of women’s liberation and solidarity that merges documentary realism with dreamlike qualities.

External links

• One Sings, the Other Doesn’t: Bodies and Selves analytical piece by Amy Taubin featured on the Criterion Collection