Katell Quillévéré on 'Heal The Living,' science and mystery and the rituals of death
BY FACE2FACE | NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Katell and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Katell's new film Heal The Living, science over mystery, living for our loved ones, taking care of others and the rituals of death.
Synopsis
Unintended consequence is the theme of this potent, pulsing drama, which draws seemingly unrelated stories together into a narrative about the moment when tragedy meets hope. Life's precariousness, its chance encounters, and the mysteries revealed by modern science all provide the foundation for Réparer les vivants. Director Katell Quillévéré brings both remarkable technique and sensitivity to this deeply moral, humanist tale, adapted from Maylis de Kerangal's novel Mend the Living, which was nominated for a Booker Prize.
The film begins in innocence as a French teenager leaves his girlfriend's apartment and joins his friends on a road trip to a seaside surfing spot. In another town, a woman receives the news that her heart condition has become more serious. Elsewhere, medical staff at a regional hospital work through the critical daily details of saving lives.
These stories are destined to intersect, but not before we are led through a series of intense and carefully balanced scenes in which people are forced to deal with the unexpected. Estranged parents, families with secrets, and children hiding news from parents (and vice-versa) become the grist of this emotionally intelligent story.
http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/face2face/2016/11/katell-quill%C3%A9v%C3%A9r%C3%A9-on-heal-living-science-and-mystery-and-rituals-de
27:14 audio at link.