With: Ariane Labed (Alice), Melvil Poupaud (Gaël), Anders Danielsen Lie (Felix), Pascal Tagnati (Antoine), Jean-Louis Coulloc’h (Barbereau), Nathanael Maini (Fred), Bogdan Zamfir (Vali), Corneliu Dragomierescu (Constantin), Manuel Ramirez (Felizardo), Thomas Scimeca (Steph)

Director: Lucie Borleteau
Producers: Marine Arrighi De Casanova, Pascal Caucheteux
Production co: Why Not Productions, Apsara Films, Arte France Cinéma
Screenplay: Lucie Borleteau, Clara Bourreau, Mathilde Boisseleau
Photography: Simon Beaufils
Editor: Guy Lecorne
​Music: Thomas De Pourquery

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REVIEWS

“A powerful first feature from a French filmmaker to watch, this is about a young woman toughing it out below decks on an ocean voyage.  It’s unusual to see a 30-year-old woman as an engineer on a cargo ship, but Alice (Ariane Labed) is a tough pro, holding her own among the otherwise all-male crew in this slice-of-life French drama.  Alice’s sweet Norwegian boyfriend is patiently waiting for her in Marseille, but when the captain of her latest posting turns out to be an old flame, staying true just got a lot more challenging.

Lucie Borleteau’s remarkably assured first feature intrigues with its doc-style observation of the daily routines, sudden stresses and eccentric rituals of life on an ocean-going workhorse.  Yet it never loses sight of the aching, sensual undertow prompting its protagonist’s sometimes impulsive behaviour.  True, Borleteau might have stoked the flames a bit higher, but the languor of the storytelling draws us in, and Greek actress Labed is both convincing in French and a strong-yet-vulnerable presence capable of holding an entire movie together.”

— Trevor Johnston, Time Out

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FILM SOCIETY SCREENINGS

Nelson
Thursday, 5 July, 6:00pm
(Possibly at State Cinemas, check Nelson homepage for details closer to time)

New Plymouth
Wednesday, 11 July, 6:00pm

Wellington
Monday, 16 July, 6:15pm

Whanganui
Monday, 23 July, 7:00pm

Canterbury
Monday, 30 July, 7:30pm

Hamilton
Monday, 6 August, 8:00pm

Auckland
Monday, 20 August, 6:30pm

Dunedin
Wednesday, 29 August, 7:30pm

Palmerston North
Monday, 10 September, 6:00pm

Tauranga
Wednesday, 19 September, 6:15pm
​
Timaru
Tuesday, 25 September, 7:00pm

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Find more FRENCH CONNECTIONS >>

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French Connections selection presented with the cooperation of the Embassy of France and Institut Français

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