Farewell to the Night
Directed by:
André TéchinéCinematography:
Julien HirschCast:
Catherine Deneuve, Oulaya Amamra, Kamel Labroudi, Kacey Mottet Klein, Stéphane Bak, Mama PrassinosPlots(1)
Muriel breeds horses in France and runs an almond plantation with her business partner from the Maghreb. A confident woman who spent her childhood and youth in Algeria, Muriel seems to enjoy a life that is both harmonious and fulfilled. She receives a visit from her beloved grandson Alex, whom she raised after his mother died in an accident. He is on his way to Canada, where he allegedly has a job. However, Muriel discovers that Alex has other plans – and a much more dangerous destination. Moreover, his childhood sweetheart Lila also seems to be more deeply involved than Muriel initially suspects. The young man becomes more and more of a stranger to her; the complete change that has come over him is incomprehensible to his grandmother. She senses that her words and any amount of discussion will not help. Finding herself caught in a dilemma between her love for her grandson and her deep concern, she decides to take a drastic step. What begins as a personal story about a family takes on surprisingly political dimensions and currency. This in turn raises questions to which there are no simple or universal answers. But these are questions that nonetheless need to be asked. (Berlinale)
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Reviews (1)
Muriel loves her grandson Alex very much, but his attitude and inclination towards radical jihadism are a great disappointment to her. She tries her best to stop him from going to Syria, which she eventually manages to do, but it doesn't make her happy. The last shots of Catherine Deneuve's torn face (reflecting the pain of her soul), from which one can read a small glimmer of hope, are among the film's strongest moments. (65%)
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