User:Wyndham Paul Wise/La Neuvaine

La Neuvaine is a 2005 French-Canadian feature from Bernard Émond. The first in his trilogy of films on the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity, which includes Contre toute espérance (2007) and La Donation (2009). It was screened at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival.

Synopsis
The film introduces us to two characters – Jeanne (Élise Guilbault) and Francois (Patrick Drolet) – both of which have their own reasons for being miserable. Jeanne, a doctor, is recovering from a violent encounter with the disgruntled husband of a patient, while Francois is dealing with the imminent death of his ailing grandmother. La Neuvaine, written and directed by Bernard Émond, moves at an incredibly slow pace, as the filmmaker initially emphasizes style and mood over character development. But once Jeanne and Francois meet, the movie becomes oddly compelling and even a little moving, going beyond oppositions of belief or disbelief to touch upon border questions of how we define our faith and let it guide our actions.

Awards
Prix Jutra – Best Actress (Élise Guilbault); Locarno International Film Festival – Best Actor (Patrick Drolet), Ecumenical Jury Prize and the Youth Jury Award