Donkey Skin

Jacques Demy takes his unique and musical vision to the world of fairy tales in this fantastical film.

Based on a story by Charles Perrault, DONKEY SKIN takes place in an amorphous medieval kingdom of a king (Jean Marais), his queen, and their beautiful daughter, the princess (Catherine Deneuve). When the queen dies, the king takes an oath that he will only marry a woman more beautiful than she. Unable to find such a woman, the king settles upon the unlikely candidate of his daughter. In horror the princess flees, helped by her sassy fairy godmother (Delphine Seyrig). Mystical, surreal, and fantastical events as well as several musical numbers by Demy's longtime collaborator, Michel Legrand, lead the princess to flee the castle in the skin of her father's favorite donkey (it had bowel movements of jewels and gold). Her new existence as a filthy scullion named "Donkey Skin" is thankless and sad, and the princess longs for love. When a neighboring Prince comes to town a romance is born, and proceedings of epic fairy tale proportions lead the prince and the former princess "Donkey Skin" together, bringing this extravagantly filmed, whimsical and decorative tale full circle.