The Widow of Saint-Pierre (film)

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The Widow of Saint-Pierre

©Pathé 2000
Directed by Patrice Leconte
Produced by Frédéric Brillion,
Gilles Legrand,
Daniel Louis,
Denise Robert
Written by Claude Farraldo, Patrice Leconte
Starring Juliette Binoche,
Daniel Auteuil,
Emir Kusturica
Music by Pascal Esteve
Cinematography Eduardo Serra
Editing by Joëlle Hache
Distributed by Pathé - France
Film Four - UK
Lions Gate Films - USA
Release date(s) 2000
Running time 120 minutes
Country France / Canada
Language French
Official website
IMDb profile

The Widow of Saint-Pierre (La Veuve de Saint Pierre) is a 2000 film by Patrice Leconte with Juliette Binoche, Daniel Auteuil and Emir Kusturica. The film made its North American debut at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival where it won the Audience Award. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2001 for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was also nominated in 2001 for two César Awards.

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[edit] Plot Summary

In 1850, on the isolated French island of Saint-Pierre, a murder shocks the natives. Two fishermen are arrested. One of them, Louis Ollivier, dies in custody. The other, Neel Auguste (Emir Kusturica), is sentenced to death by the guillotine. However the island is so small that it has neither a guillotine nor an executioner. While one is sent for, Auguste is placed under the supervision of army Captain (Daniel Auteuil).

While Auguste is under the captain's care, the wife of the island's police chief, Madame La, (played by Juliette Binoche) takes an interest in the convict and begins to try to redeem him. Under her auspices, Auguste works hard and carries out a number of good deeds for the good of the community. The locals begin to see that he has changed, and Madame La begins a campaign to stop him from being executed.

When the guillotine and executioner finally arrive on the island, Madame La fights the establishment and the law to save Auguste. Her struggle carries possible consequences for her husband, the police chief.

[edit] Awards & Nominations

[edit] César Awards 2001

[edit] Golden Globe Awards 2001

  • Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film

[edit] Sant Jordi Awards 2001

[edit] Moscow International Film Festival

  • Winner Russian Film Critics Award - Best Film
  • Nominated for Golden Saint George Award

[edit] Jutra Awards 2001

  • Nominated for Best Art direction

[edit] Toronto Film Festival 2000

  • Audience Award for Best Film

[edit] Title Clarification

The French title La Veuve de Saint-Pierre contains an ironic pun. "Veuve" translates to "Widow". In the 1800s the word was also slang for a guillotine. [[1]]

[edit] References

[[2]] Popmatters

[edit] External links

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