THE ONES WHO GRIEVE

Set in the French countryside at the end of the 19th century, THE ONES WHO GRIEVE follows Jacob, a deeply religious man who works as a soul keeper. Believing he is liberating those afflicted by a mysterious illness, he imprisons them behind wooden masks after sewing their eyes and mouths shut. His daughter, Zélie, lives under his tyrannical rule and dreams of freedom. When Jacob sells her beloved horse, Thunder, her resentment reaches its breaking point, prompting her to defy him by hiding an infected soldier in the family barn.

After Zélie is assaulted by a neighbor, Jacob's delusions deepen. Convinced she has sinned, he brutally mutilates her before deciding the only way to keep her "safe" is to keep her for himself. But Zélie has finally reached her limit. When an opportunity presents itself, she seizes it and turns the tables on her father.

THE ONES WHO GRIEVE is French director Quarxx's third feature film. In 2018, he left a lasting impression on our audience with ALL THE GODS IN THE SKY, a bleak and unsettling science fiction tale. Although the two films differ in genre, they share a common thread: an unflinching exploration of suffering.

With THE ONES WHO GRIEVE, Quarxx examines the tyranny of a self-proclaimed prophet who wields religion as a tool of domination and control. Thierry Frémont fully inhabits the role, delivering a chilling performance that lays bare the character's monstrous nature. (ANNICK MAHNERT)