The Ceremony

Inside Catherine Robbe Grillet’s world of ritual, power and desire

The Ceremony enters the refined yet unsettling environment shaped by Catherine Robbe Grillet, a long standing figure of the Parisian intellectual scene and author of provocative works on eroticism and sadomasochism. Known for organising elegant and strictly structured ceremonies, she opens her doors to the young Swedish director Lina Mannhaimer, who approaches this universe with a restrained and attentive gaze. The film is built around revealing interviews with participants, alongside observations of rituals that privilege atmosphere, gesture and sound over spectacle. Footsteps, the friction of leather gloves and the rhythm of breathing become central elements in a carefully controlled choreography.

Rather than seeking shock, the documentary focuses on the ideas and commitments that sustain this community. It portrays a woman who frames her practices as both physical experience and philosophical position, and it listens to those who choose to take part in her ceremonies. One striking story involves Beverly Charpentier, who enters into a formal contract of lifelong obedience to Catherine, a decision that raises questions about freedom, choice and responsibility. By moving between private testimony and staged ritual, the film reflects on power, intimacy, ageing, friendship and love, and invites the viewer to reconsider how society defines desire, norms and the boundaries of personal relationships.