SAINT OMER
Genre
Drama
Running time
122 minutes
Year
2022
Language
French
Subtitle
English and Arabic
Country
France
Director
Alice Diop
Bio
Producer
Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral
Cast
Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda, Valérie Dréville, Aurélia Petit, Xavier Maly, Robert Cantarella, Salimata Kamate, Thomas De Pourquery, Adama Diallo Tamba, Mariam Diop, Dado Diop
Scriptwriter
Alice Diop, Amrita David, Marie Ndiaye
In 2013, all of France was captivated by the trial of a brilliant Senegalese student who had drowned her child in the sea near the town of Saint-Omer, a seemingly inexplicable act she blamed on sorcery. French-Senegalese documentary maker Alice Diop, who was pregnant herself at the time, spent weeks in the courtroom watching the trial unfold, an experience she has adapted as her first fiction film. This is not a conventional courtroom drama. Rama (Kayije Kagame) is a literary academic writing a paper on Medea; she can claim a professional interest. But as she watches Laurence (the magnetic Guslagie Malanda) speak, she finds herself identifying with this young woman, despite what she has done; she recognises her experience of having her identity and agency subtly denied by others, including this court. Diop’s account of the trial is ultimately an inquiry into how we construct our stories, both for others and for ourselves.
Other movies
HIJRA
Director: Shahad Ameen
A grandmother and her two granddaughters journey from Taif to Mecca. When the eldest granddaughter vanishes, the two remaining women travel north to find her, with their search highlighting the deep cultural and generational bonds between Saudi women. Set against the backdrop of the Hajj pilgrimage, Hijra portrays the intimate and emotional odyssey of these women, which evolves into a spiritual quest. Their journey carries the weight of an entire heritage and offers an emotional, powerful and insightful look at identity. Shot across eight Saudi cities, the film provides a deep dive into the nation’s rich cultural tapestry. Actress Khairia Nazmi infuses the story with profound emotion due to her strength and energy.
SINK
Director: Zain Duraie
Behind the facade of a perfect life, Nadia, a 40-year-old wife and mother of three, struggles with her marriage and a lost sense of self, leaving her emotionally detached. Her one true connection is with her eldest son, Basil, a brilliant but unsociable high school senior. When a violent outburst at school leads to his suspension, Nadia’s world crumbles. On the verge of burnout, she attempts to care for him, but as she battles her own crisis, she's pulled into his undiagnosed mental illness. As his condition spirals, Nadia's struggle to prove that her son is normal intensifies. The film is an intimate look into a powerful maternal bond and a portrait of unconditional love in the face of chaos.
ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU
Director: Cherien Dabis
This compelling family drama traces three generations of Palestinians from 1948-2022, revealing the profound impacts of the Nakba. The story begins in 1988 with Noor, a man who joins a protest that turns violent in the West Bank. Decades later his mother, Hanan, recounts her son’s story, starting with the 1948 expulsion of his grandfather from Jaffa. Amid the hardship, the family holds on to the hope of returning to their ancestral home. A love story between Hanan and her husband Salim serves as a beacon of light. Through intimate, moving performances, this film explores how trauma and heritage shape the bonds between a grandfather, a father and son, while filled with moments of joy, love and humor.