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.

Director:

Sophie Deraspe (as Sophie Desraspe)

Writers:

Sophie Deraspe (adaptation), Sophocles (play)

Stars:

Nahéma Ricci, Rawad El-Zein, Antoine DesRochers

8 wins & 11 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
L. Fernando Becerra Sánchez	...	Eteocles's friend
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:

one word title | title appears in writing | migrant | algerian woman | quebec canada | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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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

Gayé
Performed by Fouki

User Reviews

An almost perfect film

Canadian cinema, while of excellent quality, is not well enough known, unfortunately, even in Canada. We, Canadians are reluctant to toot our horn. While I understand modesty, not promoting enough real values is a serious shortcoming.

I am not a skilled review writer and I am afraid I will not do this film justice. But this film touched and awed me so much that, that I could not help it. I had to draw attention to it.

I would rank this film - in terms of depth, execution, impact, thoughtful script, acting - up there with La Strada and Zorba the Greek. It draws you in, it touches you, it leaves you thinking and feeling days and days afterwards. It is an honestly made film. It does not go for shock, easy answers, holier-than-though preaching, or political subtext. (The reviews who see political statements are WRONG.)

it starts with the 25 hundred years old story of Antigone, and, using it as a mold, tells us a story about a refugee family in Quebec. (By the way, do read the synopsis of the Greek tragedy before seeing this film. It gives you needed bearings.)

Hold on here for a moment. The moment the word "refugee" comes up, the sea parts along political lines and entrenched positions. No, they are just a family, and their refugee status does not make them "good" or "bad" or even different from the society around - it is just a backdrop for a millennia-old conundrum: who are we loyal to - the law of the land or the family blood? And how far we are ready to go. Different cultures may see different nuances.

Open your mind, open your heart, and go see this film.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

French Arabic

Release Date:

27 August 2020 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Antigone

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$123,645

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