Sables

Acclaimed for his avant garde 'Ménilmontant' (1926), director Dimitri Kirsanoff made his entry into the commercial mainstream with this soap opera filmed against the majestic backdrop of the Tunisian and Algerian desert.

A famous opera singer (Edmond Van Daële) dallies with Another Woman (Colette Darfeuil), resulting in his estrangement from his handsome wife (Gina Manès). At the centre of both the drama and the triangle is the couple's daughter (Nadia Sibirskaïa), who keeps asking why Daddy doesn't come home anymore.

I spent most of this film expecting what proved to be the entire narrative to be simply the prelude to the main action, as Ms Sibirskaïa (the director's wife, previously acclaimed for her performance in 'Ménilmontant') was so obviously much older than the little girl she was playing I was anticipating seeing her growth to full womanhood before the film concluded.

No so. Ms Sibirskaïa remains the same age but spends the entire film looking impossibly chic with her bee stung lips, Jean Shrimpton hair, Mary Quant dress and a huge bow in her hair.