Quitter la nuit

Three lives, changed forever: A woman tries to regain her daily routine after a traumatic event, while a man whose actions set everything in motion wrestles with guilt and responsibility. A witness who involuntarily became part of the events is confronted with questions of morality and her own role. The story begins where the immediate violence has already ended – in the silence that follows, which speaks all the more poignantly of the profound effects of what has been experienced. Delphine Girard, whose short film “A Sister” was nominated for an Oscar in 2020, now applies her keen powers of observation to a full-length format. With impressive intimacy and emotional depth, she explores in THROUGH THE NIGHT (fr. QUITTER LA NUIT) how experiences of violence and abuse of power shape not only those affected but also the people around them. Girard deliberately avoids sensational scenes, instead focusing on the psychological depth and nuances of the characters' relationships. The actors do an outstanding job: Veerle Baetens gives a compellingly understated yet intense performance, while Guillaume Duhesme and Salomé Richard make their characters' emotional conflicts impressively tangible. Combined with a minimalist yet effective visual language, Girard has created a film that will resonate for a long time to come. THROUGH THE NIGHT (fr. QUITTER LA NUIT) is more than a drama – it is a necessary and poetic reflection on what remains when the night ends.