The Diary of a Chambermaid (2026): Cast, Story and Release

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

The Diary of a Chambermaid follows Gianina, a young Romanian woman living in France, as her work for a French family intersects with a theatre company adapting Octave Mirbeau’s novel. Radu Jude writes and directs this French-Romanian drama-comedy, which is scheduled for release on October 23, 2026.

The Diary of a Chambermaid is a 2026 drama-comedy written and directed by Radu Jude. The film centers on Gianina, a young Romanian woman living in France and working for a French family.

Her circumstances change when she joins a theatre company preparing an adaptation of Octave Mirbeau’s The Diary of a Chambermaid. Set in a world connected to domestic work, performance and satire, the film uses French, Romanian and English.

The Diary of a Chambermaid movie details

Story without spoilers

Gianina is a young Romanian woman living in France, where she works for a French family. Alongside this job, she becomes involved with a theatre company adapting Octave Mirbeau’s The Diary of a Chambermaid.

The premise brings together the experience of a housekeeper and the process of staging a literary work. The supplied details identify Bordeaux, France, as part of the film’s setting and point to a story shaped by theatre, satire and the tensions surrounding social roles and adaptation. No further plot details are provided, so the film’s later developments are best left undisclosed.

What to expect

The film is categorized as both drama and comedy, suggesting a balance between more serious material and comic or satirical elements. Its premise connects a contemporary character’s working life with a theatre troupe’s adaptation of a classic novel.

The keywords also indicate fairy-tale imagery and a Halloween association, although the supplied information does not explain how those elements appear. Viewers can expect a multilingual production built around French, Romanian and English, with the theatre group serving as an important part of the setup.

Cast and creative team

Ana Dumitrașcu leads the cast as Gianina. Marie Rivière plays Madame Anne, while Louen Bouteiller appears as Louen and Arnaud Baudoin as Kalil. Mélanie Thierry and Vincent Macaigne play Marguerite Donnadieu and Pierre Donnadieu, respectively.

The cast also includes Ilinca Manole as Ilinca, Sofia Dragoman as Maria, Liliana Ghiță as Bunica and Kahina Mounier as a Theatre Member. Radu Jude is credited as both director and writer.

• Ana Dumitrașcu as Gianina
• Marie Rivière as Madame Anne
• Louen Bouteiller as Louen
• Arnaud Baudoin as Kalil
• Mélanie Thierry as Marguerite Donnadieu
• Vincent Macaigne as Pierre Donnadieu
• Ilinca Manolache as Ilinca
• Sofia Dragoman as Maria
• Liliana Ghiță as Bunica
• Kahina Mounier as Theatre Member

Release and production context

The Diary of a Chambermaid is listed as a 2026 release with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. Its release date is October 23, 2026. The production is associated with France and Romania and is credited to SBS Productions and Avanpost.

The film’s spoken languages are English, French and Romanian. Its premise is based on or connected to Octave Mirbeau’s novel The Diary of a Chambermaid, while the story specifically involves a theatre company adapting that work.

Production companies: SBS Productions, Avanpost

Movies Dock view

With its focus on a Romanian woman working in France and a troupe staging a literary adaptation, The Diary of a Chambermaid combines domestic-life subject matter with theatrical and satirical framing. The available details establish its setting, multilingual production and central premise without revealing how Gianina’s story unfolds.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb