What begins as a chance encounter between two women wandering through Paris soon spirals into a delightfully strange adventure involving haunted houses, repeating narratives, magic candies, and the very nature of storytelling itself. Directed by Jacques Rivette, one of the leading figures of the French New Wave, Céline and Julie Go Boating transforms a detective story into a labyrinth of games, performances, and cinematic possibilities. 

Frequently hailed as a landmark of feminist filmmaking and one of the great achievements of postwar cinema, the film rejects conventional narrative in favor of collaboration, spontaneity, and pure imagination. Rivette and his cast create a world where friendship becomes an act of authorship, and where stories can be entered, rewritten, and reclaimed. Its influence can be felt in everything from experimental cinema to contemporary fantasy and mystery films. 

We’re proud to present this singular masterpiece as part of ESSENTIALS—a film that celebrates the joy of getting lost in a story, and the endless possibilities that emerge when cinema refuses to play by the rules.