Messidor (film)
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| Messidor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Alain Tanner |
| Written by | Alain Tanner |
| Starring | Clémentine Amouroux Catherine Rétoré |
| Cinematography | Renato Berta |
| Edited by | Brigitte Sousselier |
| Distributed by | Gaumont Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 130 minutes |
| Countries | Switzerland France |
| Language | French |
Messidor is a 1979 Swiss-French drama film written and directed by Alain Tanner. It stars Clémentine Amouroux and Catherine Rétoré as two young women travelling across Switzerland. The film premiered in 1979 and was entered in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival. It was later screened at festivals including Solothurn and São Paulo.[1][2]
Cast
The cast includes:[3]
- Clémentine Amouroux as Jeanne Salève
- Catherine Rétoré as Marie Corrençon
- Franziskus Abgottspon
- Gerald Battiaz
- René Besson
Background
The film was inspired by travel diaries written by two female hitchhikers during three weeks of wandering in Switzerland.[5] It also grew out of a project initially intended for Maurice Pialat and based on a real French criminal case from the 1970s involving two runaway girls. Tanner took on the project only on the condition that he could rework the original concept around his own concerns, especially the limits of freedom.[1]
Reception
Filmdienst described Messidor as a reflection on futile youth protest and on a society dominated by technology, though it said the story’s broader meaning was weakened by its clichéd distinction between “good” and “bad” characters.[3] SRF wrote that the film was less well received in Switzerland than Tanner’s earlier successes, but described it in retrospect as one of his most radical visions.[6] Swiss Films described it as Tanner’s “most sombre work”, marked by a despair not relieved by his usual humour.[1]
