Synopsis
A little girl who is sent with her sister to an orphanage in the heart of France, who waits in vain every Sunday for her father to come for her… A cabaret performer with a weak voice who sings to an audience of drunken soldiers… A humble seamstress, who stitches hems at the back of a provincial tailor's shop… A young, skinny courtesan, to whom protector Etienne Balsan offers a safe haven, amongst the idle and decadent… A woman in love who knows she will never be anyone’s wife, refusing marriage even to Boy Capel, the man who returned her love… A rebel who finds the conventions of her time oppressive, and instead dresses in her lovers' clothes…
This is the story of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, who begins her life as a headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey becomes the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman and became a timeless symbol of success, freedom and style.



Coco Before Chanel, starring Audrey Tautou (Amélie, The Da Vinci Code) in the title role, along with Benoît Poelvoorde (Entre ses mains/In His Hands, Podium), Emmanuelle Devos (Rois et reine/Kings and Queen, L’Adversaire/The Adversary), Marie Gillain (L’Enfer/Hell, Les Femmes de l’ombre/Female Agents) and Alessandro Nivola (Junebug, Jurassic Park III). Coco Before Chanel is directed by Anne Fontaine (La Fille de Monaco/The Girl From Monaco) from a screenplay by Anne Fontaine and Camille Fontaine (no relation), with the collaboration of Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons), loosely based on L’irrégulière by Edmonde Charles-Roux. The producers are Philippe Carcassonne (La Fille de Monaco/The Girl From Monaco), Caroline Benjo (Entre les murs/The Class) and Carole Scotta (Entre les murs/The Class).

The director of photography is Christophe Beaucarne. The production designer is Olivier Radot. The film is edited by Luc Barnier. Catherine Leterrier created the original costumes. The production was given the support of the Maison CHANEL, who opened their archives and collections. Alexandre Desplat (Oscar Nominated Composer of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) composed the score. Shot in French in the Paris region and in Normandy, Coco Before Chanel will be released in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics.