"Meres et Filles" (released in Japan as "Kakusareta Nikki)" is a film about women. But contrary to expectations, it's not a celebration of womanhood. Director Julie Lopez-Curval (working from a script by Sophie Hiet) is more concerned with the telltale details of women's lives: the momentary coldness in a mother's glance, the way her daughter shuts her eyes at a disapproving remark.

"I was interested in tracing the process of change and freedom for women in the last 40 years or so," says Lopez-Curval. "There are so many things young women of today take for granted, like having a child without the need to marry, or the freedom to travel. Women of a past generation didn't have those options, so perhaps there's friction there. At the same time, the older women often don't realize that modern freedom can bring about a whole new set of complications."

At 38 years old, Lopez-Curval is not France's most prominent female director, but she's famed for her writing and nuanced storytelling, as demonstrated in 2006's "Toi et Moi," starring Marion Cotillard. In France, her reputation is that of a female filmmaker who understands actresses — and it's said that Catherine Deneuve agreed to appear in this film as soon as she read over the manuscript and learned who the director was.