Overview and Synopsis
My Sole Desire, which was originally titled À mon seul désir, is a film that came out in 2022. It is a French film directed by Lucie Borleteau, who co-wrote it with Clara Bourreau and Laure Giappiconi. It focuses on aspects of female desire, self-discovery, and transformation through the lens of performed eroticism. It is a blend of realism and magical symbolism. The film is a take on the empowerment aspect of connection and sensuality.
Manon is a university student with a stable academic background, and the film follows her life. During this time, she does not feel very emotionally fulfilled. To the outside world, it looks like she is living a perfectly fine life. However, she has a yearning deep within herself to explore the world. For reasons she does not fully understand, she walks into a strip club called À mon seul désir. To her surprise, it is not a place of objectification. In fact, it is a space of artistic performance and human connection.
Manon does not leave the club immediately. She continues going again and again. She is entranced by the women who perform in the club, not for their physical beauty and eroticism, but for their emotional honesty and the confidence that they exude. Eventually, she fully integrates into the community, adopting the nickname Aurore and training to perform as a dancer herself.
One of the dancers is Mia, a strong-willed and gifted individual who dreams of being an actress. Mia and Manon develop a profound bond that deepens into romantic and emotional intimacy. The relationship, laden with deep tenderness and intense conflict, becomes foundational to Manon’s journey of awakening.
The narrative shifts metaphorically when Manon finds a curious power: she “sees” people devoid of their emotional and physical garments. This faint, yet supernatural aspect of the story serves to symbolize the emotional peeling away and raw revealing that comes with stunning self-encounter and genuine connection to another person.
As Manon improves her skills, the performance demands of her deeply artistic curiosity begin to raise some existential questions for her to consider. How does she wish to relate to, or engage with, the world she has integrated herself into? Is the affection she feels towards Mia climbing up the spiral of affection, self-actualization, or simply a wish to change herself? Moreover, at club, if she can have private shows or perform beyond the boundaries of the club, what limits is she willing to breach?
As the film progresses, the answer to the questions seems to lie within for Manon. To put it simply, she needs to understand how to blend the two worlds she’s attempting to live in; dealing with love, her various passions, and differentiating between seeking validation and simply being in control. Desires and love will have many shapes—something rare to witness or explore in today’s world. Ultimately, the film underscored the need to reflect within oneself, and it portrays self-exploration within the stunning, deeply emotional world of erotic performance art.
Now lets move to the cast and character sections
Louise Chevillotte takes on and portrays the character of Manon, Aurore.
The film shines through Chevillotte’s performance, and it’s in the character of Manon that it becomes tangible. One can witness emotional frailty in Manon’s character, a simultaneous quiet reflection and a profound transformation into emotional and erotic poise.
Zita Hanrot as Mia
Zita Hanrot portrays Mia with depth and vivacity. She is confident yet fragile, levelheaded yet spontaneous. Her bond with Manon is earnest, and it is multifaceted ranging from admiration and attraction to a sense of adventure that they share.
Laure Giappiconi as Elody
As Elody, Giappiconi is both a performer and a coach. She helps with the group by providing a distinct sense of strength and direction. Elody embodies the hallmark of a person who has long come to terms with their identity and their choices, both emotionally and intellectually.
Pedro Casablanc as Pablo
Pablo is a supporting character who is the club’s manager. He has a secondary, yet critical, role in regulating the dancers’ activities. He runs the club in a polite and nurturing manner, providing structure without taking advantage of the performers. His character helps the club serve as a nurturing and affirming space.
Among the supporting characters is a group of dancers. Each is a different expression of femininity, sensuality, and a certain style of dance. Their interaction breathes the life of the different bodies and identities into the community of the club.
Themes and Interpretation
Self-Discovery and Awakening
The heart of the film centers on a woman uncovering the truth of her identity. This isn’t done through crisis or rebellion and instead manifests through sincere and honest exploration. Manon’s the strip club she chooses to work reflects the attraction of a scandal to a much deeper authenticity. Her journey illustrates the still and strong waters of change and the choice to undergo it.
Eroticism as Empowerment
The film chooses to frame erotic dancing as the expression of art and strips clubs as a whole in a protective boundary. Rather than portraying it as exploitative, the dancers and performers express emotions, sensuality, and strength through their bodies. They do not adhere to outside expectations. Each woman sets and protects their own rules. The description of strip clubs and eroticism is largely filled with stereotypes. This is the common portrayal, and this segment as a whole aims to strip them.
Intimacy and Vulnerability
To blind or emotionally naked can be to see. Manon’s ability to see beyond skin deep places a metaphor for intimacy. This is the desire to want to truly understand a person. The film suggests a genuine connection needs self exposure and risk.
Queer Desire and Complexity
Not a single label represents the relationship interlinking Manon and Mia. Both essences carry their own aspect. Relationships have their own evolution and are mark by trust, attraction, and freedom, and in this case, queer love. The portrayal of queer love is far more complex than a single definition. Joy, confusion, and deep moments of self discovery best describe these.
Performance vs. Reality
As a student and a dancer at the same time, Manon becomes both an observer and a participant, which makes her ask the question: what is real and what is a performance? The club transforms into a setting not only for erotic dances, but also for fact revealing where women with autonomy tell stories about their bodies, their wishes, and their control.
Direction and Style
Lucie Borleteau’s direction is tender, slow, and full of visual artistry. Her cinematography captures the club’s warm, intimate lighting and softer natural tones outside, illuminating Manon’s internal and external worlds. Outside, she captures the club’s warmth and the softer natural tones, because the club is not a warm intimate place. Instead, it allows for more of Manon’s internal worlds.
Objectifying the performers is not what the camera does. Rather, it captures them with a listening, watching eye that does not dictate but empowers. Eroticism through artistry and respect marks the film’s silence. Strength and beauty have combined. Accompanying the visuals, the sound design and music complements the film’s depth. The film is at a meditative constant, letting the viewers stay rather than sprint through with the characters.
Reception
My Sole Desire received accolades for its emotional sincerity, solid performances, and a new take on erotic storytelling. It was noted for its intelligence and its refusal to cater to mainstream expectations regarding sexuality or gender. While some critics considered the film’s pacing to be slow or its use of magical realism to be too understated, many others praised the film for its mature treatment of identity and desire.
Both critics and audience members praised the sexual chemistry of Chevillotte and Hanrot, the film’s respectful treatment of sex work, and the unusual focus on female desire, agency, and female camaraderie.
Conclusion
My Sole Desire (2022) is a film of great emotional power and grace which continues the work of astutely mapping eroticism, self-discovery, and emotional intimacy. It replaces conventional narratives built around striptease and desire with narratives of sincerity, depth, and empathy.
My Sole Desire is an eloquent statement on the contemporary woman’s condition and with its rich performances, sensitive direction, and strong feminist critique, it stands as a modern, feminist film about the desire for freedom: the freedom to desire, and the freedom to become.
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