SAINT OMER
FRANCE - 2022 - 122 MINUTES
A FILM BY ALICE DIOP
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Saint-Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama’s convictions and call into question our own judgement.
“Diop refuses to wrap her film with a neat bow. In fact, she doesn’t even tell us what sentence, if any, Kabou received (there’s Google for that.) But in her unique way, she has taken us further into the emotional, social and moral crevices of this real-life case than any documentary could. And we’re much the better for it.” - Toronto Star
“Provocative real-life murder trial inspires powerful, enigmatic drama of Saint Omer” - Globe and Mail
“Spellbinding ‘Saint Omer’ straddles truth, fiction” - City News/ Toronto Star
“ “Very often when you are a Black director, you are reduced to the expectation that you only going to talk about the voiceless people or the invisible people,” observes Diop. “Few people look at us as creators, artists, innovators, and creators. What I am most interested in as a director, whether you are Black or white, is the ability to create new language in cinema.” - POV Magazine
“SAINT OMER is a film that does not shy away from harsh realities, even violent acts, none of which we see onscreen. Diop focuses on the women in this film, the mothers, the daughters and their stories. Through words, moments, visuals, and song, it asks you to bear witness and hold space.” - Hye’s Musings
“Saint Omer layers on the complexity” - National Post