FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2026
Sacred Monster: Chloë Cassens, the “Little Scorpion” of the French Riviera, heads to New Orleans
to headline special programming at French Film Festival
Chloë Cassens. Photo: Studio Lazareff @studiolazareff
New Orleans, LA – Chloë Cassens headlines interdisciplinary programming exploring film history, surrealism, and avant-garde icon Jean Cocteau at the French Film Festival from March 19-24, 2026.
The programming includes: a screening of Jean Cocteau’s highly influential film La Belle et La Bête (Beauty and the Beast) (1946) and Orpheus (1950) at Prytania Theatre; a new book release with Nous Foundation for Sacred Monster Volume II; the opening of the co-curated exhibition “La Belle et La Bête” at 812 Royal Gallery; lectures with Loyola University New Orleans; and other parties and celebrations planned throughout the festival.
Chloë Cassens is the representative of Severin Wunderman Collection, which is the largest collection in the world of works by Jean Cocteau, and founder of Sacred Monster, an interdisciplinary project celebrating and educating the public about Cocteau’s place in the canon of avant-garde art and his continued influence on contemporary culture. She was named “The Little Scorpion of the French Riviera” in a recent article in The New York Times.
“After my beloved hometown of Los Angeles, New Orleans is my favorite city in the United States. I have been a loyal and passionate visitor for many years, and could think of no other place than the queen city of gothic glamour to launch my international speaking tour in honor of La Belle et La Bête’s 80th anniversary. I am thrilled to be bringing such a rich variety of Cocteau-related programming to NOLA this March, and there are more surprises yet to be announced. My deepest thanks and appreciation go out to the New Orleans Film Society, the French Film Festival, Clint Bowie, Rudy Bazenet, Camille DeBose, the Nous Foundation and their teams for their hospitality. Laissez les bon temps rouler!” – Chloë Cassens
On March 19th, Cassens will present the opening of La Belle et La Bête on March 20th in New Orleans, a new exhibition she co-curated at 812 Royal Gallery.
With the French Film Festival, Cassens will introduce and discuss Cocteau’s film Beauty and the Beast (1946) on March 22nd at the historic Prytania Theatre. This year marks the 80th anniversary of La Belle et la Bête, which premiered at the inaugural Cannes Film Festival following WWII. It remains one of the most enduring masterpieces of French cinema, which later inspired and influenced many elements of Walt Disney’s later adaption Beauty and the Beast (1991). It has been cited as one of the greatest films ever made. Orpheus is a groundbreaking retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice and best known for its blurring of the boundaries between reality and myth, its inventive use of special effects, and its cultural response to post-war Europe. Orpheus also marks the pivotal moment when Cocteau started to exist in the modern world as we know it, less so in the fictional past and remnants of the fantastical Belle Époque and the Paris of the Roaring 1920s. Orpheus has been recognized as a landmark film by legendary filmmakers such as Andrei Tarkovsky and Akira Kurosawa, and it directly influenced poets such as Frank O’Hara and Allen Ginsberg upon its release in the United States.
Also on March 22nd, Cassens will host the book release of Sacred Monster Volume II with the Nous Foundation, a nonprofit supporting the revitalization of Louisiana’s heritage cultures, focusing on Cadien (Cajun), Creole, and Indigenous communities. Sacred Monster Volume II gathers several new essays about Jean Cocteau; the 2025 Palisades Fire; Daft Punk; the trash-camp classic Showgirls (1995); Dada; David Bowie; and more.
On March 23rd, Cassens will host a lecture and discussion with Professor Camille DeBose at Loyola University New Orleans.
Finally, on March 24th, Cassens will be welcomed at the Residence of the Consulate General of France for a conversation about the life and legacy of Jean Cocteau.
DETAILS
Friday, March 20th
La Belle et La Bête exhibition
Opening Reception at 812 Royal Gallery
Saturday, March 21st, 11:45am
Introduction
French Film Festival Screening of Orpheus (1950)
Prytania Theatre
Sunday, March 22nd, 10:00am
Introduction
French Film Festival Screening of Beauty and the Beast (1946)
Prytania Theatre
Sunday, March 22nd
Book release for Sacred Monster Volume 2
Nous Foundation
Monday, March 23rd, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Lecture & Discussion
Loyola University New Orleans
Tuesday, March 24th, 5:30pm
Discussion
Consulate General of France in New Orleans
2406 Prytania Street
ABOUT CHLOË CASSENS
Chloë Cassens is the representative of the Severin Wunderman collection, the largest in the world of works by the artist Jean Cocteau. Her perspective on Cocteau is singular as she is Wunderman’s granddaughter. An in-demand expert and scholar of Cocteau, she has spoken to audiences at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice; L’Alliance in New York City; the British Film Institute in London; the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles; and many more. Chloë has been featured in Le Monde and the Observer, and the New York Times has called her “The Little Scorpion of the French Riviera.” Her writing has appeared in periodicals such as A Rabbit’s Foot, 7Hollywood, and S&M Magazine.
Chloë was born in Los Angeles and raised between L.A., Switzerland, and France. She received a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Barnard College. She lives in Los Angeles and Paris with her dachshund, Louis.
You can follow her at @chloecassens on Instagram. You can subscribe to Sacred Monster at www.sacred-monster.com.
Sacred Monster, Vol I is available to purchase at https://www.chloecassens.com/; Skylight Books in Los Angeles; and Librairie 1909 in Paris.
Instagram: @chloecassens
Website: chloecassens.com
Sacred Monster website: https://www.sacred-monster.com/