The innovation of the German film Céleste, directed by Percy Adlon, is that it examines the life of the legendary French writer Marcel Proust from the POV of his real-life maid, Céleste Albaretas.
Spanning about a decade, from 1912 to 1922, the story is told through the eyes of a woman who was dedicated to her eccentric and complex employer.
She waited decades before writing her own book about the experience, which Adlon adapted for the screen in a way that pays tribute both to the writer and the film medium.
World-premiering at the 1982 Cannes Film Fest to great acclaim, “Celeste” established the international reputation of German filmmaker Adlon as a major talent to watch.
