Romance is a French erotic drama film directed by Catherine Breillat. The film follows the story of Marie, a schoolteacher who is deeply in love with her boyfriend, but he does not reciprocate the same level of physical intimacy as she desires. Marie's sexual frustration leads her to explore her desires in increasingly risky situations.
As Marie tries to initiate sexual intimacy with her boyfriend, she is met with rejection or disinterest. This leads her to pursue other partners, including a young student at her school and her married neighbor. Eventually, Marie begins a sexual relationship with her school's headmaster, who is also the father of one of her students.
Throughout the film, Marie examines her own sexuality and desires, and attempts to understand why she feels so unfulfilled by her relationship with her boyfriend. The film features several explicit sex scenes and explores themes of power dynamics and sexual liberation.
Romance premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival and was met with both controversy and critical acclaim. The film's explicit content and deconstruction of traditional gender roles prompted discussions about female sexuality in film. Breillat went on to direct a sequel to the film, entitled Anatomy of Hell, which further explored themes of sexuality and intimacy.