With Saint Omer, acclaimed filmmaker Alice Diop delivers a riveting and utterly unmissable courtroom drama. The film follows novelist Rama (Kayije Kagame) who attends the trial of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanga), a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter. As the legal proceedings move forward, the words of the accused along with witness testimonies begin to shake Rama’s convictions and call into question both her judgement and that of the viewer. Featuring an array of outstanding performances, this film will be a must-see for 2023.

The Garden Cinema View: Documentarian Alice Diop makes her narrative feature debut with this beguiling courtroom drama. A sinuous film which gradually proceeds from cold legal observation to a profoundly moving confrontation with our own moral positionality. A gripping case which speaks to a postcolonial experience in contemporary France and Europe.

Cast:
Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanga