Escapees, The

Jean Rollin’s THE ESCAPEES revisits the director’s fascination with pairs of women who wander, dreamlike, through a modern dystopia (Requiem for a Vampire, Two Orphan Vampires). Two female patients – one rebellious (Laurence Dubas), the other despondent (Christiane Coppé) – flee the grounds of a mental hospital and drift across the French countryside. After finding refuge among a band of gypsy-like exotic dancers, they cross paths with a petty criminal (Marianne Valiot), an aging fortune-teller (Louise Dhour) and a quartet of swingers (including Brigitte Lahaie) with sinister intentions.

Punctuated by moments of unexpected violence and lyrical beauty (as when the emotionless Marie returns to life in a vacant ice rink), THE ESCAPEES is among Rollin’s most personal films, and has been remastered in HD from the 35mm negative.

Special Features

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• “One Day in Paris: An interview with Jean Rollin” (2008, 28 minutes)
• Mastered from the original 35mm negative./li>

Film Details

• Music by Philippe D’Aram
• Cast: Laurence Dubas, Christiane Coppe;, Marianne Valiot, Brigitte Lahaie, Louise Dhour, Natalie Perrey, Patrick Perrot, Jean-Philippe Delamarre