'' Umbrellas '' is the middle film in an informal " romantic trilogy " of Demy films that share some of the same actors , characters and overall look ; it comes after '' Lola '' ( 1961 ) and before '' The Young Girls of Rochefort '' ( 1967 ) . The film was very successful in France , and was also shown internationally , introducing Deneuve to a larger audience . It was nominated for several Academy Awards , including for Best Foreign Film , Best Song , Best Soundtrack , and Best Original Screenplay . It won three awards at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival , including its top prize , the Palme D'or . Jim Ridley has called '' Cherbourg '' " the most affecting of movie musicals , and perhaps the fullest expression of Demy 's career-long fascination with the entwining of real life , chance , and the bewitching artifice of cinematic illusion . " Madame Emery and her beautiful 16-year-old daughter Geneviève ( Catherine Deneuve ) have a tiny , struggling umbrella boutique in the coastal town of Cherbourg in Normandy , France . Guy ( Nino Castelnuovo ) is a handsome young auto mechanic who lives with and cares for his sickly aunt and godmother Elise . Though Geneviève 's mother ( Anne Vernon ) disapproves , Guy and Geneviève are deeply in love ; they plan to marry and name their first child " Françoise " . At the same time Madeleine ( Ellen Farner ) , a quiet young woman who looks after Guy 's aunt , is secretly in love with Guy
1964 Cannes Film Festival
1964 Cannes Film Festival
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg