Graine de beauté
2026 · 2m
Directed by Iris Abonnenc
Genres: comedy, coming-of-age, family
Tones: humorous, tender, whimsical
Dragged by her mother into training for a Mini Miss pageant, little Apolline discovers the notion of the beauty spot — and, just before going on stage, it gives her ideas, whatever the adults think.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
A twee subversion of pageant culture that wants to be anarchic but lands as precious—the beauty-spot rebellion is there, sure, but the film's too charmed by its own whimsy to actually *disturb* anything.
Abonnenc demonstrates formal control in miniature, with a clear lineage to French comedy-of-manners shorts; the pacing and visual composition suggest a filmmaker conversant in the tradition, even if the premise itself isn't particularly novel.
That final beat—where Apolline's mischief with the beauty spot shifts from cosmetic play to genuine self-determination—hinges entirely on the actress's micro-expression and Abonnenc's decision to *let the camera sit* rather than cut away, which is precisely the kind of restraint that transforms a family-comedy premise into something real.