A fortuitous blend of Gallic verbosity and sublime artistry, ETOILES - DANCERS OF THE PARIS OPERA BALLET is an unusually articulate look at the competitive world of ballet. Shot primarily backstage and at rehearsal, the captivating footage is augmented by black and white stills by Vincent Tessier, capturing the dancers at their most vulnerable and isolated.

Between clips of rigorous performances of Swan Lake and what insiders call Bejart's Ninth Symphony (referring to the choreographer instead of the composer, Beethoven), Tavernier talks to opera house management, longtime teachers, young students, and the company's established stars.

What emerges is a touching group portrait of extremely dedicated, essentially lonely people, most of whom grow up hermetically sealed, with their closest comrades doubling as their fiercest rivals.

"A terrific example of the "inside story" genre... a voyeur's dream. Director Nils Tavernier (who narrates and poses quiet questions from behind the camera) lingers on the beauty of full-blown stars as well as novices, interviews teachers and managers, and loiters backstage, in dressing rooms, and in class. Among the many pleasures are the lively intelligence of the artists and their perceptiveness about their own situations."—Village Voice

"ETOILES isn't interested in evoking the glamour and pageantry of ballet; quite the contrary. As the camera zooms in for close-ups of sweating bodies and rows of pointed feet in ballet slippers, it compiles a disorganized scrapbook that offers an insider's backstage view of the profession and its uncertainties. The images of the dancers straining through warm-ups and rehearsels suggest the clinical realism of Degas paintings."—New York Times

"This graceful documentary explores dance, life, and love through interviews with gifted ballerinas at various stages of their careers. This is a treat no balletomane can afford to miss."—Christian Science Monitor

"Should be required viewing for anyone who thinks ballet is for sissies. Combining performance and rehearsal footage with revealing commentary from choreographers, company directors, students and dancers, Tavernier elicits starkly contrasting accounts of life in the ballet.—Time Out New York