Ann Oren is the director of the French psychological drama movie Piaffe. Eva is the main character of the movie. She is quiet and takes over her sister Zara’s job as a Foley artist when Zara has a breakdown. After that, Eva grows a horsetail, which is very strange. Also, the tail is just the beginning of all the weirdness. You can read my “what on earth was Piaffe about” piece here. I’ll do my best to explain this movie I saw at a film festival. Here are some details for the story and finish of Piaffe.
What Happens in the Movie “Piaffe”
Who is Eva?
Eva is shy and has been spending time with her sister.
Who is Zara?
Zara is a trans woman who seems to have a great job as a Foley artist, which means they make sounds for films cleverly using things they find. Just so you know, the Oscar category for this work is Best Sound Editing. Please tell me if I’m wrong.
How did Zara get away?
Zara is now in the hospital because she seems to have gotten a hidden mental illness. It’s clear that her situation will get worse over time and that she will need help for the rest of her life.
Why is there a tail?
It looks like the growth of the stump and tail is a metaphor for her coming out as a trans guy and letting go of her shy nature.
At first glance, the tail looks like a penis, and the animal even comes when the scientist touches its tip. It is very clear that there is a sexual aspect to it.
But it also shows what kind of independent woman she has to be as she fights to get the media to the client during the sound recording process.
It turns out she goes to clubs by herself and learns how to raise her voice to order vodka.
To sum up, the progress shows that she is accepting herself as she is.
Who does the botany?
It’s not clear what she was doing where the scientist was testing how plants grow.
She likes him and shows him her tail, which means she is sexual with him. He is deeply in love with her, and they have sexual encounters that include bondage.
He finally tells her he loves her, which makes her very angry. For her, their encounters were only sexual and meant to be tried out.
When he tries to turn her around in the botanist’s room, she keeps facing away because she only wants him to pet her tail. He’s trying to get close to her feminine side, which she doesn’t want. For her, it’s just a trial and something sexual, and she thinks it will be the same for him. She leaves him because he wants more.
What does Zara do?
We see that she doesn’t want to be responsible for taking care of Zara. This person, who asked her to take Zara home, I think was their father or caretaker.
It seems like her time has come, so she avoids taking care of things. It seems selfish, but we don’t know what kind of relationship the brothers had or how close they really were. Still, Zara was making money for them both even though she had no idea how the sound recording work was done. That’s why it’s not too much of an exaggeration to call her selfish.
The pictures we see of Zara going to the club with her look like Eva made them after getting high on drugs from the guy in the bathroom. It’s not possible for Zara to be dancing at the club when she’s sick. Eva might feel better when she thinks of Zara being fit and with her. Or it could be that she feels bad about giving up on Zara.
How the movie Piaffe ends is explained
As Piaffe comes to a close, Zara suddenly gets better at home, but this seems to be just Eva’s dream. We can tell from her last smile that she’s happy with her choices and wants to live her life the way she wants to. Even though it’s sad for Zara, it’s a happy finish for Eva, who might even do a great job.
Piaffe Movie: The End
There is a stump that resembles the male genitalia, but the tail is covering it. At the end, Zara shaves off the hair, leaving only the stump. This scene is a metaphor for how she has accepted her new sexuality and is not ashamed to show it. We could have thought the whole thing was a metaphor if we hadn’t paid attention to the part where the doctors took x-rays of her tail and noticed the growth. But the director tried to be both, which made the movie boring and hard to understand.
What did you think of the movie Piaffe’s story and ending? Write something below.
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