France's Official Oscar submission for International Film (short-listed but not nominated).
In 2016, French Documentarian Alice Diop heard of the trial of a Senegalese immigrant accused of the murder of her infant. Diop, of Senegalee descent, became obsessed with the case and attended the hearings. In this fictionalized version, Diop's stand-in is Professor Rama (Kayije Kagame) and the accused is Laurence Coly (Guslagie Mulanda), a highly educated woman who found herself bearing the child of a white married Frenchman.
Diop's screenplay (which she collaborated on with three others) is framed from Rama's point of view. Not only is Rama Senegalese, but she is also in an interracial relationship, albeit a much more loving one. Both have issues with their mothers. The procedures of the French court system take some getting used to. Much of it resembles a deposition more than a traditional trial. It can be quite dry with a number of long monologues. With her Documentary background, Diop presents most of the proceedings quite directly with little in the way of mis en scene. Occassionally, the camera emphasis may not be where one expects, but there is very little variation. Fortunately, the case itself is quite interesting.
The performances are strong and there are some interesting themes about how post-pardum depression can seem almost like spiritualism and sorcery to other cultures. While the courtroom drama may never come to a boil, the underlying issues are worth exploriing. The final sequence plays out with just a pair of shots and good use of natural sounds. It's quietly incredibly powerful.
In 2016, French Documentarian Alice Diop heard of the trial of a Senegalese immigrant accused of the murder of her infant. Diop, of Senegalee descent, became obsessed with the case and attended the hearings. In this fictionalized version, Diop's stand-in is Professor Rama (Kayije Kagame) and the accused is Laurence Coly (Guslagie Mulanda), a highly educated woman who found herself bearing the child of a white married Frenchman.
Diop's screenplay (which she collaborated on with three others) is framed from Rama's point of view. Not only is Rama Senegalese, but she is also in an interracial relationship, albeit a much more loving one. Both have issues with their mothers. The procedures of the French court system take some getting used to. Much of it resembles a deposition more than a traditional trial. It can be quite dry with a number of long monologues. With her Documentary background, Diop presents most of the proceedings quite directly with little in the way of mis en scene. Occassionally, the camera emphasis may not be where one expects, but there is very little variation. Fortunately, the case itself is quite interesting.
The performances are strong and there are some interesting themes about how post-pardum depression can seem almost like spiritualism and sorcery to other cultures. While the courtroom drama may never come to a boil, the underlying issues are worth exploriing. The final sequence plays out with just a pair of shots and good use of natural sounds. It's quietly incredibly powerful.