The Innocents (2016 film)

The Innocents

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Anne Fontaine
Produced by Éric Altmayer
Nicolas Altmayer
Philippe Carcassonne
Written by Sabrina B. Karine
Pascal Bonitzer
Anne Fontaine
Alice Vial
Based on an original concept
by Philippe Maynial
Starring Lou de Laâge
Agata Kulesza
Agata Buzek
Vincent Macaigne
Music by Grégoire Hetzel
Cinematography Caroline Champetier
Edited by Annette Dutertre
Production
company
Aeroplan Film
France 2 Cinéma
Mandarin Cinéma
Mars Films
Scope Pictures
Distributed by Mars Distribution (France)
Release date
  • 26 January 2016 (2016-01-26) (Sundance)
  • France (France)
Running time
 115 minutes
Country France
Poland
Belgium
Language French
Polish
Dutch
Russian
Budget $6.4 million
Box office $7.4 million[1]

The Innocents (French: Les Innocentes) is a 2016 French film directed by Anne Fontaine, which features Lou de Laâge, Agata Kulesza, Agata Buzek and Vincent Macaigne in its cast.[2][3] The script is by Sabrina B. Karine, Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine and Alice Vial, after an original idea by Philippe Maynial.[4] Maynial took inspiration from the experiences of his aunt, the French Red Cross doctor Madeleine Pauliac, in Poland after World War II.[5]

Plot

In December 1945, a young doctor, Mathilde Beaulieu (Lou de Laâge), works for the French Red Cross in Poland. After a nun approaches her and pleads with Mathilde to come with her, Mathilde goes to her convent with her, where she helps a young woman giving birth. When Mathilde returns the following day to treat the new mother, she finds out that several nuns at the convent are pregnant because Soviet soldiers raped them. She decides to treat the women, but the Mother Superior wants her to keep quiet about it as nobody is supposed to know about the pregnancies. Now, Mathilde must find ways to help the nuns and newborns in addition to her work for the Red Cross, despite the nun's reluctance.

Cast

Production

The film is a French-Polish-Belgian co-production that was supported by the Polish Film Institute and the Film Commission Poland.[6] Principal photography began on 13 January 2015 in the Warmia region in Poland, and lasted for seven weeks.[7] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016.[8] In some countries the film is titled Agnus Dei (latin for "God's lamb").

Critical reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 93%, based on 89 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Innocents isn't always easy to watch, but its nuanced exploration of complex themes -- and its refreshing perspective -- are well worth the effort."[9] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score from 1 to 100 with respect to reviews from mainstream critics, reports a score of 78 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews ".[10]

Accolades

Award / Film Festival Category Recipients and nominees Result
César Awards Best Film Nominated
Best Director Anne Fontaine Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Sabrina B. Karine, Alice Vial, Pascal Bonitzer and Anne Fontaine Nominated
Best Cinematography Caroline Champetier Nominated
Norwegian International Film Festival Andreas Award Won
Provincetown International Film Festival Audience Award Won
Valladolid International Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize Won

References

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