| Séraphine | |
|---|---|
French-language film poster |
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| Directed by | Martin Provost |
| Produced by | Milena Poylo Gilles Sacuto |
| Written by | Marc Abdelnour Martin Provost |
| Starring | Yolande Moreau Ulrich Tukur Anne Bennent Geneviève Mnich |
| Music by | Michael Galasso |
| Cinematography | Laurent Brunet |
| Editing by | Ludo Troch |
| Distributed by | Diaphana Films (France) Music Box Films (USA) |
| Release date(s) | 1 October 2008 (France) 5 June 2009 (USA) |
| Running time | 125 min. |
| Country | France Belgium |
| Language | French German |
| Box office | $9,147,877[1] |
Séraphine is a 2008 French-Belgian film directed by Martin Provost and written by Marc Abdelnour and Provost. It stars Yolande Moreau as the French painter Séraphine Louis and Ulrich Tukur as Wilhelm Uhde. It won the 2009 César Award for Best Film.
Contents |
The film follows the life of a middle-aged housekeeper, Séraphine Louis, who has a gift unknown by anyone around her; the gift of painting. Untaught and following what she regards as religious inspiration she finds great appreciation in the beauty found in Nature, specially her daily walks to work where she proudly and humbly stops to gaze at trees. In the beginning it is noted that she stops to collect soil from plants as well as a bit of the remaining blood from a dead pig. Later, in her small home lit by candles she is seen using these same ingredients while creating her art. At one point when her art begins to be seen, she is asked behind the effect in the "rouge" (Red) in her artwork, she goes on to say it is her most well kept secret.
Uhde,a noted art critic, encounters her first as a housekeeper and then sees one of her artwork's, which he regards as very promising. Séraphine feels she is just a housekeeper and no one will take her seriously, where uhde firmly assures her she has a talent and he will look after her and exposing her art, he kindly tells her to follow her gift but he is a German and has to flee France when the 1914 war begins; Leaving séraphine in solitude. However, she is seen during this period creating more Art. The story then jumps to 1927. Uhde encounters Séraphine again and considers her now greatly improved. He begins buying her work and encouraging her to do nothing but paint. But prosperity upsets the woman's balance, she buys an expensive bridal gown even though she has no suitor and claims an important message from the angels. Uhde cannot sell her paintings and is also hit by the start of the Great Depression, and is forced to disappoint Séraphine who has begun to expect she is becoming someone with important means and wealth, this goes on to mentally affect her.
After rousing the town for no clear reason while wearing her bridal gown, she is put into a lunatic asylum and eventually stops painting. Uhde visits but is advised not to make contact since this would deeply upset her further, not even to tell her that he has finally sold some of her Artworks. He grew to care for her well being and secures her a room in the institution that enables her to go outside, where she begins to enjoy the beauties of nature again. We are then told that she died in 1942 and that her art became famous and respected.
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by The Secret of the Grain (La graine et le mulet) |
César Award for Best Film 2009 |
Succeeded by A Prophet |
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