Le semeur (2017)

Directed by: Marine Francen | 98 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Pauline Burlet, Géraldine Pailhas, Alban Lenoir, Iliana Zabeth, Françoise Lebrun, Raphaëlle Agogué, Barbara Probst, Anamaria Vartolomei, Margot Abascal, Mama Prassinos, Sarah Fourage, Théo Costa-Marini, Auguste Wilhelm, Guillaume Costanza, Denis Coutaudier Malepeyre

‘Le semeur’ is a film with an unlikely story that seems to have actually happened. It is 1852. Napoleon III has staged a coup in France and purges are taking place all over the country. The remote mountain village of Violette is badly hit. All the men are taken for interrogation and face an unclear fate.

The women stay behind and have to clear the work in the village themselves. She does that well. But the tension remains whether they will ever see the men from the village again. After months of total isolation and with no prospect of the men returning, the women begin to feel desperate. They decide to share the first man to appear in the village.

Not long after making the appointment, a man actually appears. Violette has to catch and care for the man. And then it turns out that the easily made appointment is not nearly as easy to implement as thought.

‘Le semeur’ manages to captivate the viewer from the very first moment. The images of nature, the hard work on the land and the idyllic life in the French village evoke nostalgic feelings. The calm narrative pace of the film fits in with the regular life in the village, which is linked to the seasons.

But it’s not just the beautiful images and romantic atmosphere that grab the viewer. The protagonist and players are asked very essential questions and confronted with dilemmas. Do you follow your feelings or do you follow your mind? Where is your loyalty? The actors know how to present the strong feelings associated with the questions in a subdued and layered way. There is no exaggerated drama, but there is a lot going on under the skin. The cast puts on a great acting performance.

‘Le semeur’ also asks questions about morals and norms. Because all the men are removed from the village, a new balance is created and a new “normal” is created. And that seems to be going fine. But will it go well if the village regains contact with the outside world?

We know that Violette wrote a book about the events in the village. She filed it with a lawyer and had it published a hundred years after the events. The knowledge that this history is true gives an extra fairytale dimension to the film.

‘Le semeur’ is the debut film of filmmaker Marine Francen and this one is definitely a success. We are very curious about her next project!