Character Relationship Map: The Exterminating Angels

Characters

• Charlotte (played by Maroussia Dubreuil) — protagonist

  One of the three struggling actresses who meet film director François during casting for his project about female eroticism. She agrees to perform sexual acts in front of him, while François fails to...

• Julie (played by Lise Bellynck) — protagonist

  A struggling young actress among the three women François works with for his film project on female eroticism. She performs sexual acts for the director during their sessions, but her thoughts and mot...

• Stéphanie (played by Marie Allan) — supporting

  One of the three struggling actresses who perform sexual acts for François while he develops his project about female eroticism. More is going on in her mind than he realizes, and his failure to perce...

• François (played by Frédéric van den Driessche) — supporting

  The central protagonist, a film director who embarks on a project exploring female eroticism. He auditions three struggling actresses who perform sexual acts for him, but fails to realize the complex...

• Stéphane's friend (played by François Négret) — supporting
• Grandmother (played by Jeanne Cellard) — supporting
• Producer (played by Christophe Maillard) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• François → Producer (Professional Director And Producer) — The Producer is introduced as François prepares the project to move from casting toward production.

  As production approaches, François introduces the Producer to the actresses.

• François → Stéphanie (Professional Director And Actress) — François directs Stéphanie's participation in the project, while the character profile indicates that he fails to grasp her inner turmoil.

  Stéphanie is among the actresses performing sexual acts for François as he develops his film project.

• François → Charlotte (Professional Director And Actress) — François involves Charlotte in his film project, but the excerpt also shows her distress and the complexity he fails to understand.

  Charlotte is one of the actresses involved in François's project, and he asks where she is as the crew prepares to begin filming.

• François → Julie (Professional Director And Actress) — François auditions Julie for his film, and she voluntarily participates in his screen tests.

  Julie says she trusts François's serious work, agrees to take his tests, and later passes.

• Grandmother → François (Family Grandmother And Grandson) — Grandmother appears to François in a vision and warns him about the danger of his curiosity.

  François wakes from a vision of his dead Grandmother, who warns him that his curiosity may set off an “infernal machine.”

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• François → Stéphane's friend (Social Friend Who Warns Him) — Stéphane's friend cautions François about the risks of his methods, but François resists the advice.

  A friend warns François that the actresses could accuse him of manipulation, withdraw, or put him and the production in danger.

• Charlotte → Stéphanie (Social Close Attachment) — Their close bond is strained by Charlotte's discomfort with Stéphanie's dealings with wealthy and famous men.

  The plot states that Charlotte is closely attached to Stéphanie, though Stéphanie's dealings with wealthy and famous men make Charlotte uncomfortable.

Story Analysis

A director's unsettling film project blurs professional boundaries as the actresses' distress and hidden turmoil complicate the move toward production.

Plot Progression

1. The Warning and the Film — François wakes from a vision of his dead Grandmother and hears cryptic voices. He dismisses the warning and turns to his unconventional film project.
2. Casting and Consent — François seeks actresses and asks candidates to discuss desire and perform intimate screen tests. Julie trusts his work and agrees to participate, while other candidates express fear and reservations.
3. Boundaries Under Pressure — At a restaurant, François turns intimate instructions into part of his process. A friend warns him of the risks, but the actresses' distress and threats make the conflict more serious.
4. Charlotte's Distress — François finds Charlotte drunk and distressed, takes her home, and hears her account of being nearly overpowered. Her request for secrecy and her attachment to Stéphanie add unresolved strain.
5. The Unresolved Shoot — François discusses the film's lighting and framing, introduces the Producer, and asks where Charlotte is. The crew prepares to begin while the warning and the outcome remain unresolved.