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THE GUARDIANS (LES GARDIENNES)
DISTR Theatrical, TV, DVD-video, UNITED KINGDOM
 
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Completed - FRENCH - Drama - 134 minutes

Year of production : 2017

Director(s) : Xavier BEAUVOIS

Synopsis

French director Xavier Beauvois’ intimate drama explores the lives of women who are left behind to work a family farm during the Great War.

As the centenary of the First World War is being observed, a number of very fine films have set out to understand this period in modern history, a period that shook apart the world and moved us into a new era of mechanized death. Xavier Beauvois' beautifully rendered Les Gardiennes concentrates on a family of French farmers as an example of how the war impacted his own country.

The year is 1916, the year of Verdun, perhaps the most important year for the French of the entire war. The women of the Pardier farm, under the deft hand of the family's matriarch, must grapple with the workload while the men, including two sons, are off at the front.

When a young outsider to the area arrives, her help is initially welcomed; Francine is a good worker, honest and upright. But when the sons return on leave, emotions are stirred, in turn ruffling local sensibilities — and prompting a powerful narrative pivot.

The scope of Les Gardiennes is intimate, yet Beauvois revels in the beauties and mysteries of the French countryside, here unravaged by war. In moments reminiscent of Malick's Days of Heaven, the rituals of farm work are celebrated, but the focus remains on the intricate family drama that plays out against the upheaval of the Great War.

Production

Country(ies) : FRANCE, SWITZERLAND

BELGIUM Dec 06, 2017 PARADISO FILMED
CANADA MK2 | MILE END
CANADA Dec 06, 2017 SKEYE INFLIGHT
CHINA TIME-IN-PORTRAI
DENMARK Sep 06, 2018 CAMERA FILM A/S
FINLAND Feb 16, 2018 CINEMA MONDO
ISRAEL NEW CINEMA LTD.
JAPAN NEW SELECT CO.
NORWAY Feb 16, 2018 AS FIDALGO FILM
NORWAY May 18, 2018 ACTIONFILM
PORTUGAL Jun 07, 2018 OUTSIDER FILMS
SWEDEN Jan 18, 2019 TRIART FILM
UNITED KIN CURZON CM FUND
UNITED KIN CURZON ARTIFICI
USA MUSIC BOX FILMS


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Festivals and Awards

Toronto - TIFF 2017 Special Presentations


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