In a quiet little French town, two detectives are tasked with investigating the brutal rape and murder of a preteen girl.
Acting
Schotté's catatonic stillness—non-professional actor, devastating presence.
Cinematography
Wide shots of grey nothingness that swallow characters whole.
Direction
Dumont's refusal to sensationalize—evil as background radiation.
Director
Bruno Dumont
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Séverine Caneele and Emmanuel Schotté won joint Best Actor at Cannes 1999—the first time non-professionals shared the award.
This essentially launched 'New French Extremity,' though Dumont would hate the label—he's too Catholic for that crowd.
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