On Wednesday night, under the spotlight of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, Le Retour was unveiled. This new work by filmmaker Catherine Corsini enters the competition with the promise of a unique journey into the heart of family conflicts and quests for emancipation. This personal and social drama, delicately and authentically woven, draws its essence from the profound bond that the author maintains with the Isle of Beauty, Corsica.
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Rich in her personal history, this introspective narrative vividly portrays the upheavals of social and personal emancipation within a family. Corsini delivers a delightfully complex story, imbued with deep emotions and internal struggles, which is sure to move the Cannes jury and audience.
With La Fracture, her vibrant critique of the public hospital in the era of the Yellow Vests protests, Catherine Corsini has established herself as a biting filmmaker. Today, the director invites us to feel the pulse of a more introspective story, adopting a more contemplative pace to narrate the summer saga of a widow and her two offspring on the Isle of Beauty.
Khédidja, the central character, portrayed with striking accuracy by Aïssatou Diallo Sagna, a caregiver turned actress by the magic of La Fracture, works for a wealthy and reconstituted family. Her portrait of the left-wing bourgeoisie, often disconnected from reality, is painted with delightful irony by Corsini, as she confided in an interview. Denis Podalydès and Virginie Ledoyen wonderfully slip into the roles of the eccentric parents, both hilarious and exasperating.
These, overwhelmed by the turbulence of their children during the holidays, invite Khédidja to accompany them to Corsica. This gives her own daughters, brilliantly played by the almost novices Esther Gohourou (a revelation in Mignonnes) and Suzy Bemba, the opportunity for a summer getaway. The journey promises to immerse them in a luminous universe where they will discover their roots in a surprising way. The narrative focuses on the emancipation of these young mixed-race girls in the enchanting Corsican landscape, skillfully interweaving social, racial, and sexual issues. The story highlights the characters’ compromises and contradictions with remarkable finesse.
This relevance could well derive from the autobiographical dimension of the film. Indeed, Catherine Corsini herself experienced the premature death of her father and left Corsica with her mother, oppressed by the lack of air. “When I go to Corsica, I often feel like a stranger, like an outsider. I wanted to return to the place that has seen so many of my tears,” reveals the filmmaker, who chose to shoot in the regions that shaped her family history.
Corsini’s goal was to make Corsica a character in its own right, a living witness to the humanity that unfolds through the mutual prejudices that her film seeks to deconstruct. However, the director chose not to comment on the controversies that surrounded the filming conditions of her film, leaving her producer, Elisabeth Perez, to respond on this matter. Perez strongly denounced a “witch-hunt” against Corsini following her selection at Cannes, while refuting any allegations of harassment during filming.
“Le Retour” is not just a brilliant tale of emancipation; it is also a heartfelt love letter to Corsica. Corsini has beautifully magnified the island, transforming it into a living backdrop, a character in its own right, adding an extra dimension to the plot. Her depiction of the island, tinged by her personal experience, brings poignant truth and palpable authenticity to this fascinating narrative.
As Cannes vibrates to the rhythm of the competition, Le Retour emerges as a serious contender for the Palme d’Or.
With AFP
