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Based on the Georges Bernanos novel “Nouvelle histiore de Mouchette”, Robert Bresson’s unflinching tale of poverty and cruelty is an agonising and unsentimental film experience. Mouchette (Nadine Nortier) is a 14 year old peasant school girl. Her mother is dying and her father is a brutal alcoholic, leaving her to fend for herself and her baby brother amidst a harsh and indifferent community. When local poacher Arsene (Jean-Claude Guilbert) turns to Mouchette for an alibi over a possible murder, the young girl desperately responds to his neediness, unaware that she is being used yet again. Bresson strips scenes, performances and emotions down to their bare necessities, creating a unique style which at first might seem alienating but ultimately depicts the human experience with mystery, grace and poignancy. In French with English subtitles. Cast also includes Maria Cardinal, Paul Herbert, Jean Vimenet (Awards: Best film 1967 Venice Film festival)
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
311402
Language
French
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Film festivals - Italy - Venice - Awards
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Foreign language films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Realism in motion pictures
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Children of alcoholics
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Poverty
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Social problems in motion pictures
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Working class in motion pictures
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Children in motion pictures
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Children of alcoholics
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Teenage girls
Feature films → Feature films - France
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Alcoholism
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Children of alcoholics
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Suicide
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Teenage girls
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)