Synopsis

With SAINT OMER, acclaimed filmmaker Alice Diop delivers a riveting and utterly unmissable courtroom drama. The film follows novelist Rama who attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter. As the legal proceedings move forward, the words of the accused along with witness testimonies begin to shake Rama’s convictions and call into question both her judgement and that of the viewer.

Featuring an array of outstanding performances, this film will be a must-see for 2023

Critics Views

“Saint Omer might be fiction, but Diop does not stray too far from her documentary roots. The film maintains a sense of naturalism even during its most tense moments. Diop’s directing style leans observational, as if she is watching and recording her screenplay’s effect on her performer” The Hollywood Reporter

“Saint Omer challenges accepted ideas of perspective, of subjectivity and objectivity — and even of what cinema can be when it’s framed by an intelligence that doesn’t accept those accepted ideas.” Variety

“Saint Omer is a deeply intellectual film – Medea is referenced several times as a frame of understanding – but it’s also heartfelt. There is a compassion to the dispassion: an empathy.” Cinevue

“Diop’s Saint Omer doesn’t condescend to the viewer by slinking toward black-and-white offerings of good and evil, or broad statements about race or gender. This ripped-from-the-headlines narrative accomplishes a feat far more creative, and a bit less forced. It dances on the surface of these participants, and in their subtle ripples, to reveal the humanity in the seemingly inhumane.” The Playlist

Awards

Cesar Awards (France)
Winner Best First Film
Nominee – Best Original Screenplay, Most Promising Actress (Guslagie Malanda) , Best Cinematography

London Critics Circle Film Awards
Nominee – Film of the Year, Foreign Language Film of the Year, Best Supporting Actress (Guslagie Malanda)

Venice Film Festival
Nominee – Golden Lion Award for best film (Alice Diop)
Winner – Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize winner (Alice Diop)
2022 Winner Luigi De Laurentiis Award – Best Debut Film (Alice Diop)

Film Rating

IMDb
 Critics: 91%  Audience 69%

Rotten Tomatoes
Critics positive review 94%   Audience Liked It 51%

 Stockbridge Audience Score: TBC%

Audience Comments