Hadewijch (2009)

The aspirant nun Céline vel Hadewijch is invited to leave the convent where she studies and she returns to the house of her mother in Paris. Céline meets her outcast Muslim teenage friend ... See full summary »

Director:

Bruno Dumont

Writer:

Bruno Dumont (scenario and dialogue)

Stars:

Julie Sokolowski, Yassine Salime, Karl Sarafidis

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Julie Sokolowski	...	Céline vel Hadewijch
Yassine Salime	...	Yassine Chikh
Karl Sarafidis	...	Nassir Chikh
David Dewaele	...	David
Brigitte Mayeux-Clerget	...	La mère supérieure
Michelle Ardenne	...	La prieure
Sabrina Lechêne	...	La novice
Marie Castelain	...	La mère de Céline
Luc-François Bouyssonie	...	Le père de Céline

Storyline

The aspirant nun Céline vel Hadewijch is invited to leave the convent where she studies and she returns to the house of her mother in Paris. Céline meets her outcast Muslim teenage friend Yassine Chikh on the streets and they hang around together. The Céline tells that he is only his friend since she is committed with God and will stay virgin since her body belongs to God. Yassine introduces Céline to his older brother and religious leader Nassir Chikh and he invites the teenage girl to participate in his religious seminars. However, Nassir is actually a terrorist and the confused Céline is the perfect tool for his cell.

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Plot Keywords:

one word title | convent | scooter | long take | subway | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [fr]

Country:

France

Language:

French Arabic

Release Date:

24 December 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Entre la fe y la pasión

Box Office

Budget:

$4,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,892 (USA) (24 December 2010)

Gross:

$4,603 (USA) (31 December 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

3B Productions, arte France Cinéma, C.R.R.A.V. Nord Pas de Calais

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

User Reviews

The God Who Wasn't There

Told that she is too hardcore, adolescent nun Celine Hadewijch is expelled from her Antwerp convent and released back in to the world, where her desires can be provoked and thus her love for God truly tested.

On Paris' mean streets she meets Yassine, a French Muslim, whose performance I will describe as nonsensical, nervous and numb. The pair meet now and then to partake in teenage thrills, like illegal moped riding. She tells him that she is happy to be friends but nothing more, as her vow to God forces her to remain celibate.

Her love test arrives when she is introduced to Yassine's older brother, a mole-faced terrorist who masquerades as an innocent preacher. He gives poisonous religious seminars in the back of a kebab shop (that'll put you off fish and chips) to perfect terrorist bait: ignorant poor people.

Celine is neither poor or ignorant, but is nonetheless seduced. A dark cloud descends right at the point where she accepts – what? Conversion to Islam? A terrorist assignment? It is left open for interpretation, just like any religious text.

The line 'Abstinence is the idea, not martyrdom' uttered by the Sister Superior in response to Celine's behaviour got me thinking. Has she been forced into religion through neglect from her family? Is her devotion a mask for her insecurity? Or does she suffer because it is man she desires, not God, and cannot forgive herself for not being able to suppress her (God-given) nature?

The interesting part of the film focuses on Celine's personal quest for earthly unity with God, which she knows is unattainable, but pursues for the occasional closeness she feels to Him. Frustratingly this story is shelved in favour of exposing the subtle nature of extremism. My dissatisfaction lay in the misalignment of the two narratives.

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