"Startling, scary, and unforgettable. It’s the sort of thing we go to the movies for." - Adam Nayman, The Ringer
"SAINT OMER doesn’t condescend to the viewer by slinking toward black-and-white offerings of good and evil. It dances on the surface of these participants, and in their subtle ripples, to reveal humanity in the seemingly inhumane." - Robert Daniels, The Playlist
In this profound character study, Parisian journalist Rama (Kayije Kagame) travels to Saint Omer in the north of France to observe the trial of a Senagalese woman, Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanda), accused of infanticide. Coly does not deny the crime; she claims her actions were motivated by sorcery and out of her control. As she bears witness in the oppressive and claustrophobic courtroom, Rama’s family history rises to the surface, as do fears about her own impending motherhood—wordlessly connecting the women to one another. This revelatory and gripping narrative debut from acclaimed documentarian Alice Diop (WE) is a provocatively layered examination of racism and generational trauma, and signals Diop as a multifaceted talent.
Winner of the Silver Hugo for Best Screenplay in the International Competition at the 58th Chicago International Film Festival.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Silver Lion, Grand Jury Prize, Venice Film Festival
Winner - Director to Watch, Palm Springs International Film Festival
Winner - Silver Hugo, Best Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival
Black Perspectives at 30: Through the Lens
Celebrating three decades of the Chicago International Film Festival’s Black Perspectives program, from Chicago filmmakers to artists working across continents, THROUGH THE LENS looks back at some of the most resonant Black stories to grace the Festival’s screens. Reaching into the vast expanse of Black imagination, the series gathers films that have made space for Black interiority, collective memory, experimentation, love, and possibility. Together, these works celebrate the extraordinary breadth of Black cinema and the generations of filmmakers who have shaped the legacy of Black Perspectives.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu