Hadewijch
dir. Bruno Dumont · 2009
The search for meaning and connection can lead individuals to dangerous ideologies that exploit their deepest beliefs.
Céline van Hadewijch, a young woman devoted to her faith, finds herself expelled from the convent and returns to her parents' home in Paris, where her life takes an unexpected turn. As she navigates her friendship with Yassine, a Muslim teenager, the film immerses viewers in a world of spiritual turmoil and existential questioning. Watching it feels like wandering through a labyrinth of faith and doubt, where every encounter raises more questions than answers.
The aspirant nun Céline van Hadewijch is invited to leave the convent where she studies and she returns to the house of her parents in Paris. Céline meets her outcast Muslim teenage friend Yassine Chikh in a café and they hang around together. Céline tells that he is only her friend since she is committed with God and will stay virgin since her body belongs to God. Yassine introduces Céline to his older brother and religious leader Nassir Chikh and he invites the teenage girl to participate in his religious seminars. However, Nassir is actually a terrorist and the confused Céline is the perfect tool for his cell.
Talking points
- the nature of faith
- the impact of cultural dislocation
- the allure of radical ideologies
- the complexities of friendship across cultural divides
