Overseas (1990)
"Outremer" (original title)

In French Algeria, after WWII, three daughters of wealthy settlers begin their adult lives. Zon marries an often absent sailor. Malene's husband, Gildas, refuses to work in the farm, so she... See full summary »

Director:

Brigitte Roüan

Writers:

Cédric Kahn, Philippe Le Guay,

Stars:

Nicole Garcia, Marianne Basler, Brigitte Roüan

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicole Garcia	...	Zon
Marianne Basler	...	Gritte
Brigitte Roüan	...	Malène
Philippe Galland	...	Paul
Yann Dedet	...	Gildas
Bruno Todeschini	...	Maxime
Pierre Doris	...	Oncle Alban
Monique Mélinand	...	Tante Léonie
Coralie Seyrig	...	Martine
Jean-Louis Tribes	...	Olivier
Jean-Claude de Goros	...	Roger Lopez, le régisseur
Georges Fricker	...	Antoine Pelissier
Jean-Marie Marion	...	Le danseur de paso
Silvana de Faria	...	La femme de Maxime
Zappy Max	...	Le père

Storyline

In French Algeria, after WWII, three daughters of wealthy settlers begin their adult lives. Zon marries an often absent sailor. Malene's husband, Gildas, refuses to work in the farm, so she has to take care of everything. Gritte, the youngest, does not want to marry and is a nurse for the natives. We will follow their three different destinies.

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Plot Keywords:

family relationships

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

8 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Overseas

Box Office

Gross:

$244,513 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, Lira Films, Paradise Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

User Reviews

requires attention, and rewards the effort in the end

The most effective movies don't always call attention to themselves, and this excellent, if sometimes difficult, French import is a perfect case in point. The choppy continuity and haphazard chronology demand more than a little patience, challenging viewers to follow a story which jumps back and forth over several decades without allowing any time to assimilate the characters: three sisters living in French Algeria (one of them played by the director herself), whose gradually disintegrating lives parallel the decline of French influence in the region. But stick with it long enough and the disjointed design gradually coheres into a deliberate structure, repeating (Rashomon-like) key moments of the story from the point of view of each sister, and revealing a little more detail and meaning with each repetition. Writer-director Brigitte Rouan adds some astute criticisms of French colonialism, which can easily be applied to any empire-building nation (including our own). Moviegoers accustomed to having their hand held might want to steer clear: the film is complex, subtle, and understated to an extreme.