In readapting the book, Audrey Diwan tries to reframe the story with a woman’s touch by divorcing the pursuit of personal pleasure.

Premiering at the San Sebastián Film Festival, the drama starring Noémie Merlant, Naomi Watts and Will Sharpe chronicles the erotic adventures of a businesswoman on a trip to Hong Kong.

It’s a surprise to find out that director Audrey Diwan had never seen the original Emmanuelle — a gauzy soft-porn feature that got la toute France hot and bothered when it was allowed to be shown in normal cinemas in 1974 — before she was approached to do this remake,