CAMILLE CLAUDEL 1915
| 2013 – 90′ – Drama – Biopic
Written and Directed by Bruno Dumont.
Starring Juliette Binoche, Jean-Luc Vincent, Robert Leroy.
Official Competition Berlin International Film Festival.
In French with English subtitles.
A Film Movement Classics release.
In CAMILLE CLAUDEL 1915, Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche gives a mesmerizing performance as Auguste Rodin’s protégé (and later mistress), and sister of the Christian/mystic poet Paul Claudel. Inspired by the correspondence between Paul and Camille, writer/director Bruno Dumont (HUMANITE, LA VIE DE JESUS) focuses on Camille Claudel’s struggle to find understanding and recognition as an artist – and the moments before her brother’s visit while she is confined to a mental institution.
Shot in a real psychiatric asylum, Bruno Dumont brings together a supporting cast composed of real-life patients and their actual nurses that, alongside Binoche, create an emotionally intense ensemble – and a rare cinematic experience. While the camera rarely ventures outside of her prison’s thick walls, the story of Camille Claudel’s 29-year confinement is in itself a tale of defiance against social norms – and a testament to the power of creativity and fortitude.