In this intimate outtake from the life of a black community on the suburbs of Paris, driver Lionel (Alex Descas) is a widower and single parent raising his daughter, Joséphine (Mati Diop), who is an anthropology student. While the mother's absence binds them in a nearly symbiotic relationship, both begin to sense a longing for something more in life. The illusion that time stands still in their flat filled with love and harmony slowly dissipates as life draws Lionel and Joséphine away from each other; the father gets into the good graces of fellow cabbie Gabrielle, while the daughter gets romantic with neighbor Noé (Grégoire Colin). Will they choose the secure and self-sufficient status quo or make peace with passing and open their hearts to the unknown? In 35 Shots of Rum, inspired by Yasujirō Ozu's Late Spring, Claire Denis, akin to the Japanese director, seems to tell her story in whispers. The actors also play in a subtle and toned-down way, including the cameo by the usually expressive Ingrid Caven, the icon from Rainer Werner Fassbinder films.
Gijón IFF 2008 - Special Jury Prize; Hamburg FF 2008 - Art Cinema Award
French director and screenwriter Claire Denis is one of the most important auteurs of modern film. She gained much experience assisting Rivette, Costa-Gavras, Jarmusch and Wenders. Already in her debut, Chocolat (1988), she dealt with issues of racial and intercultural tensions, a topic she experienced in her childhood as the daughter of a colonial civil servant in Africa. The problem of colonialism and inequality in access to goods and education are leitmotifs in her work, which is also fueled by ideals of Paris '68. This is most powerfully expressed in Good Work(1999) starring Denis Lavant and White Material (2009) featuring Isabelle Huppert. In portraying her homeland, she is sensitive to social issues such as the situation of immigrants, which she took on in I Can't Sleep (1994), the frustrations of civil servants - Friday Night (2002), or family relationships, as in TheIntruder (2004). Against that background, Denis often sketches the erotic character of French society, as is evident in Trouble Every Day (2001) starring Béatrice Dalle, one of her favorite actresses. She also frequently casts Isaach de Bankole and Grégoire Colin. Denis works regularly with cinematographer Agnès Godard, whom she met in the 1970s at La Fmis, the French state film school in Paris, where Denis currently teaches film directing. The 2013 documentary Trespassing Bergman by Jane Magnusson and Hynek Pallas indicates that even the great Ingmar Bergman prized the films of Claire Denis.
1988 Czekolada / Chocolat / Chocolate
1999 Piękna praca / Beau travail / Good Work
2004 Intruz / L’intrus / The intruder
2008 35 kieliszków rumu / 35 rhums / 35 Shots of Rum
2009 Biała Afryka / White Material
2013 Les salauds / Bastards