Antigone (2019)

A modern adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy which falls within a social realism. To the law of men, the young Antigone apposes her own sets of values.

Directors:

Sophie Deraspe (as Sophie Desraspe), Sophie Deraspe

Writer:

Sophie Deraspe (adaptation)

Stars:

Nahéma Ricci, Rawad El-Zein, Antoine DesRochers

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Nahéma Ricci	...	Antigone
Rawad El-Zein	...	Polynice
Antoine DesRochers	...	Hémon (as Antoine Desrochers)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sebastien Beaulac	...	Gardien de prison
Nour Belkhiria	...	Ismène
Hakim Brahimi	...	Étéocle
Lise Castonguay	...	Psychiatre
Zalfa Chelhot	...	Policière
Eric Clark	...	CBSA Officer
Jean-Sébastien Courchesne	...	Maître O'Neil
Paul Doucet	...	Christian
Benoît Gouin	...	Enquêteur
Rachida Oussaada	...	Ménécée

Storyline

In helping her brother escape from prison, Antigone confronts the authorities: the police, the judicial and penal systems, and the father of her friend Haemon. A straight-A student and model citizen until now, she sees the vice-grip tighten around her. But she rejects the law of men for her own sense of justice, dictated by love and loyalty.

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Plot Keywords:

toronto international film festival | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

French

Release Date:

8 April 2020 (France)

Also Known As:

Antigone

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Association Coopérative des Productions Audio-Visuelles (ACPAV)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min 109 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Stereo)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sophie Deraspe informed the audience at TIFF she sorted out 800 applicants and chose 300 to look at and eventually chose Naheema for the role of Antigone. This film just won Canada Goose award at TIFF 2019. September 15 2019!

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Soundtracks

Ssendu
Performed by Idir

User Reviews

Anatomy of an outstanding piece of Art.

After the screening of Antigone, I was in shock, filled with awe and admiration. How to explain the conviction that I ( and all the audience) we were witnessing the birth of an important piece of art? I think it might be by dissection, by studying its internal parts.

The first main quality of Sophie Deraspe's "Antigone" is the choice of the theme: the author suggests an analyze of the moral of our society. It is a film about integrity in a society where the rules are fixed and should be respected no matter what. Sophie Deraspe's script it is a meditation about our own implication by adopting an unconcerned view about other people's needs. It is very important to notice the mastery of the plot, the suspense created by the rise of hope that Antigone will be liberated. And to understand the scene in the Juv facility when Antigone's indignation is provoked by the way one of the girls is humiliated. I am in awe about how the author used the role of the chorus in a stunning modern vision: young people follow Antigone's statement "Mon Coeur me dit". My heart told me. Yes, it is a film about the importance of what your heart tells you. The moving scenes of Ménacée, the grandmother, singing in front of the facility where Antigone is prisoner, brings us to understand the real meaning of love. But this same love also triggers the climax : when Ménacée, not to leave Polynice alone, decides to go back to her country, Antigone's fight to keep her family together is broken. She is left alone. This replaces Sophocle's play which ends with Antigone's death with the contemporary meaning: alone in a society that rejects her, Antigone is like being dead. This is the way I understand the last shot of Antigone, the end of Sophie's film. The directorial mastery might be explained by one scene: Eteocle's death. The scene is filmed in a large shot, we barely see the cell phone in Eteocle's hand, we hear the gun shot and Polynice's shout. We want to see it again, to understand how it was possible. And that is mastery. The cast is outstanding. Nahema Ricci's performance is a great tribute to the art of acting. But not only Nahema. Every character brings that aesthetic pleasure to dive into a real world: Ménacée ( Rashida Oussada), Ismène, the judge, Haemon and his father. The movie, filmed by Sophie Deraspe (it is difficult to find a position that was not Sophie's direct work) brings the aesthetic of cinematography to a the highest level: I am still haunted by the intensity of the C.U's, the pure beauty of shots and last, but not least, the editing (yes, Sohie's again) not only of the images but also of the sounds. Antigone is an important film in the world's cinema, a film that makes one think and evaluate his/her own choices.