Les danseuses de mer (1956): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1956, Les danseuses de mer is a notable film directed by Jean Painlevé.

What it’s about. Two kinds of starfish, the brittle and the feather. The brittle star moves its arms alone, without the aid of suckers. Underneath is a single opening. Stalks move food close to the mouth and move waste away. We see vents, used in reproduction and breathing. We watch the hatched young expelled into the water. The camera shows us brittle stars' intricate patters. We observe feather stars in clusters, like ferns. One turns over slowly; arms have branches with stalks for breathing and gathering microscopic food. Reproductive organs are inside branches. We see eggs develop at 1,400 nature's speed. Larvae emerge, 0.1 mm long. They grow. A feather star takes a walk.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.3/10, Les danseuses de mer has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In USA you can stream it on Criterion Channel. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Les danseuses de mer page.