Humanité

Plot

In a town near Lille, melancholy police superintendent Pharaon De Winter lives with his mother. An 11-year-old girl has been raped and murdered. Over the next week, De Winter investigates and grieves, his face nearly expressionless. He bikes, he gardens. He accompanies his neighbors, Joseph and Domino, to dinner and to the seaside; he even observes them in vigorous if not rough coitus. For Domino, sex seems her way of connecting. Does she fancy Pharaon? A plowed field, the sea, Pharaon's flowers, the pudenda of Domino and of the ravaged girl - this mix of images of beauty, evil, and possibility assaults Pharaon as he tries to do his job and hold on to his humanity.

Why watch

A police superintendent named Pharaon De Winter navigates the aftermath of a brutal crime in a small town, grappling with his own emotional detachment as he investigates the murder of a young girl. The film immerses viewers in a world where beauty and horror coexist, challenging them to confront the complexities of human existence.

Talking points

• the nature of grief and loss
• the role of the investigator in society
• the intersection of beauty and violence
• the portrayal of human connection in isolation

Cultural context

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