Bruno Dumont’s new film “Hadewijch,” which won the International Film Critic’s award at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival, now has a UK trailer complete with subtitled dialogue for English speaking non-festival goers to catch a glimpse of.
The film explores the notion of extreme emotional devotion to God and follows a young nun, Celine, as she is sent away from her convent on journey of self-discovery when her own devotion has her superiors worried. Here is the official plot synopsis:
Sister Hadewijch, a novice, is a radical Christian making herself suffer by fasting and standing in the rain. The Mother Superior (Brigitte Mayeux-Clergot) expels her. She meets the young man Yassine (Yassine Salim), but tells him that she cannot fall in love with him because she is in love with Jesus. He introduces her to his brother Nassir (Karl Sarafidis), a fanatic Muslim who convinces her to participate in a terrorist attack in the Paris metro.
Although this writer thinks Dumont hit his peak with his debut, “The Life of Jesus,” his films are still worth seeing and normally contain at least one or two beautifully well-done scenes. Plus, judging by the plot synopsis, there seems to be much more going on here narratively, thematically, and emotionally than his past two films “Flandres” and “Twentynine Palms.”
“Hadewijch” seems to be doing a few more festivals in the US with IFC planning a 2010 release.
