![]() Malanga gives an acting masterclass as Laurence, an educated Senegalese immigrant who accidentally became pregnant during an affair with an older white man while studying philosophy. ![]() Laurence gives lengthy testimony, guided by her lawyer (Aurélia Petit), and it’s those moments that are most engaging-and telling. The majority of the film takes place within the walls of the courtroom, presided over by a female judge played by Valérie Dréville. Instead, she becomes enraptured by Laurence’s testimony, which doesn’t quite align with what Rama expects. Rama, who is pregnant, hopes to write about the case, using it as the basis of a modern-day retelling of the Greek myth of Medea. The film follows Rama (Kayije Kagame), a literature professor (and stand-in for Diop), who attends the trial of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanga) in the French town of Saint-Omer. Starring: Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanga, Valérie Dréville, Aurélia Petit, Xavier Maly, Robert Canterella, Salimata Kamate, Thomas de Pourquery Written by: Alice Diop, Amrita David, Marie NDiaye Although Saint Omer does draw from the trial itself-using real dialogue from the courtroom-Diop’s version is ultimately fiction, which only makes it more interesting. Diop attended the trial herself, while pregnant, and was so compelled by the testimony that she decided to turn it into a drama. ![]() Diop, who wrote the screenplay with Amrita David and Marie NDiaye, based the story on a real-life case of Fabienne Kabou, who was convicted of killing her young daughter by leaving her on the beach to be swept away by the sea. But the movie, from documentary filmmaker Alice Diop, is so gripping you can barely tear your eyes away from the screen after it ends. It is, after all, set primarily in a French courtroom. On the surface, Saint Omer doesn’t present itself as a particularly riveting film.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |