An unauthorized biographical movie about Yves Saint Laurent was shown at the 67th Cannes international film festival.

Shown as part of a competition, “Saint Laurent” was directed by Bertrand Bonello.

Bonello managed to complete the film despite efforts to stop the film’s production by Yves Saint Laurent’s surviving partner Pierre Berge, Berge even denied the filmmaker use of the designer’s clothing in a film about his life.

The movie features a dark view of Saint Laurent’s life full of promiscuity and excessive drug use including prescription pill abuse. It even depicts an affair with Jacques de Bascher, who tragically died of AIDS in the 1980s.

Some critics claim that the movie doesn’t do justice to Saint Laurent’s biggest accomplishments as an influential designer, or the fact that he was one of the first European designer known for using non-white models.

Bonello counters that his film focuses on Yves Saint Laurent as a person, not just as a designer. That said, Yves Saint Laurent accomplishments as a designer make up a significant portion of his life.  To minimize those accomplishments to so heavily focus on more controversial material seems skewed.

The Cannes International Film Festival is held annually in Cannes, France. It’s a prestigious film festival that previews films of all genres from across the globe.

It’s invitation-only at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres. Awards are given at the festival, including the Palme d’Or for the best film. Doing well at the Cannes International Film Festival provides confirmation that the film is of artistic quality.