Nicolas bears the psychological scars of unbearable guilt. As a boy, he was given the job of looking after his mentally unstable mother and protecting her from herself. One day, he and his sister went instead into a large closet and marked one another with the blade of their father’s sword cane as a bonding ritual. While they were occupied in this manner, the boy’s mother hung herself and died. Now an adult, he still has an unhealthily strong fixation on his sister. One day, his sister arrives for a visit accompanied by her husband, Berlu. Although the reunion is warm and moving, the relationship with their father remains tense.
Credits: Producer, Michel Chanderli ; director, Benoit Jacquot ; writer, Benoit Jacquot ; photography, Pierre Lhomme ; music, Robert Schumann, I Santo California.
Cast: Brigitte Fossey, Lou Castel, Jean Sorel, Georges Marchal, Isabelle Weingarten, Hassan Fall.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
X000459
Languages
English
French
Subject category
Foreign language films
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)