The Snows of Kilimanjaro (2011)

A union pensioner and his wife are robbed, but find that merely getting the assailants brought to justice is not enough for their consciences.

Director:

Robert Guédiguian

Writers:

Robert Guédiguian (scenario), Victor Hugo (poem)

Stars:

Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gérard Meylan

6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ariane Ascaride	...	Marie-Claire
Jean-Pierre Darroussin	...	Michel
Gérard Meylan	...	Raoul
Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet	...	Christophe
Marilyne Canto	...	Denise
Anaïs Demoustier	...	Flo
Adrien Jolivet	...	Gilles
Robinson Stévenin	...	Le commissaire
Karole Rocher	...	La mère de Christophe
Julie-Marie Parmentier	...	Agnès
Pierre Niney	...	Le serveur de bar
Yann Loubatière	...	Jules
Jean-Baptiste Fonck	...	Martin
Emilie Piponnier	...	Maryse
Raphaël Hidrot	...	Jeannot

Storyline

At a French shipyard, a trade unionist named Michel deliberately arranges to have himself on the dockworkers' randomly chosen downsizing list to spare another of his fellow workers. While he has his severance package and his friends and family's generosity to ease this sacrifice, this also gets his home invaded and robbed along with his wife and friends. Through pure luck, Michel finds out the identity of one of his assailants, a young worker who was on the same downsizing list himself, and gets him arrested. However, both Michel and his wife find that their vindictive satisfaction is soured by their realization of their assailant's motives and the larger consequences of their revenge. Struggling with their conscience, the couple finds themselves independently trying to live up to their ideals for a greater sense of justice.

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Plot Keywords:

2000s | marseilles france | title based on song | title appears in song | nostalgia | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Connections

Features The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

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Soundtracks

Heart of Glass
Composed by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein
Performed by Blondie

User Reviews

After a traumatic experience in their home, a trade unionist and his wife question the turn their lives have taken

After a traumatic incident in their home, we see a trade unionist and his wife, hard-core socialists, questioning the turn their lives have taken over the years, too comfortable, too middle-class. Have we become like those rich people we used to fight? they wonder. Set in Marseilles, this story is compelling, cleverly structured, and very moving. Performances are outstanding, particularly from the two leads: Ariane Ascaride as Marie Claire and Jean Pierre Darrousin as Michel. They wonder about the choices they made, the confront their own children, and they make new choices trying to recover their lost passion for equality and class struggle. Photography is beautiful and includes several shots of the Marseille Harbour. I saw this film on Saturday 15 September 2012 at the Prince Charles in London as part of the London Labour Film Festival.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

16 November 2011 (France)

Also Known As:

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Filming Locations:

Digue du Large, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,726,049

Company Credits

Production Co:

Agat Films & Cie, France 3 Cinéma, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1