Machaela Nicholls, BA Film Studies student
Screenshots from Angèle, directed by Sébastien Rensonnet and Brice Vdh, Netflix, 2021.
Angéle (2021) shares the inspiring story of a bisexual artist who has finally figured out who she is and is unapologetic about it. It’s a compelling story, shot mostly through a handheld camera by Angèle herself, interlaced with home videos of her past and her musical performances.
Angéle’s many talents include singing, songwriting, record producing and acting. Filmed during lockdown, Angéle looks inwards, delving into her past, thinking of all the events that led her to where she is now, and discovers that she is not happy with her life. She finds her old diaries and song writing books which she reads throughout the documentary. These readings are accompanied by close-ups of the writing itself and children’s drawings. We find out that Angéle’s parents were famous. She constantly felt burdened by their fame and left to the background. Because of this, Angéle decided from a young age, that she did not want fame, despite loving music and being very skilled at it. However, this changed when her music became increasingly popular.
Angéle has certainly had a difficult relationship with the media. Most significantly, she was outted by a male journalist on TV, and Playboy used a sexualised photo against her wishes. The documentary focuses on feelings during this time and how she chose to channel this through her music.
It took years of wrestling with her sexuality before Angéle at 23 accepted that she was bisexual. In the documentary, she wishes that when she was growing up, she had LGBT figures in the industry to look up to. She now gladly takes on this role for her fans.
You can watch Angèle on Netflix.
Further viewing:
The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) directed by Desiree Akhavan, available on Box of Broadcasts
The Blue Angel (1930) directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich, available on Kanopy