LUISE
by MATTHIAS LUTHARDT | Feature film | 2023 | Germany, France | 95 min | color
Luise Aschenbrenner (Luise), Leonard Kunz (Hermann), Christa Theret (Hélène)
Christa Theret (Hélène)
Luise Aschenbrenner (Luise), Leonard Kunz (Hermann), Christa Theret (Hélène)
Synopsis
Alsace in the late summer of 1918. Luise, a young farmer, lives alone on an isolated farm near the French border. One morning, in her house, she discovers Hélène, a French woman pursued by Hermann, a German soldier. Being injured, Hermann is forced to stay on the farm for a while, even though this makes him a deserter. Luise decides to give them both shelter. While the two women get closer to each other, Hermann feels increasingly excluded and tries to stand in their way.
Credits
Director: Matthias Luthardt
Scriptwriters: Sebastian Bleyl in collaboration with Matthias Luthardt
Director of photography: Lotta Kilian (BVK)
Production design: Olivier Meidinger
Costume designer: Tanja Gierich
Editor: Florian Miosge
Sound: Philippe Fabbri, Aline Huber, Kinane Moualla
Music: Pēteris Vasks & Matthias Petsche
Main cast: Luise Aschenbrenner (Luise), Christa Theret (Hélène), Leonard Kunz (Hermann), Aleksandar Jovanovic (Captain)
Producers: Oliver Damian & Philippe Avril
Production: 27 Films Production (Germany) & Les Films de l’Étranger (France)
in co-production with Bayerischer Rundfunk, Arte La Cinéfiliale, Will Production
in association with Pyramide
Supports: CNC/FFA, Creative Europe MEDIA Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg MFG Baden-Württemberg, Région Grand Est, Conseil Départemental des Vosges (réseau Plato), Eurométropole de Strasbourg
World premiere:
2023 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) - Harbour selection
FESTIVALS
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AWARDS
Links
German Distribution: Salzgeber Medien
French Distribution: Pyramide
International Sales: Pyramide International
ABOUT THE MOVIE
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«Be a good animal, true to your animal instincts» - a piece of advice from D.H.Lawrence, whose novella The Fox inspired us to tell our story about the young Alsatian farmer LUISE.
Two women and a soldier, in a confined space, at the backdrop of a seemingly endless war. The struggle for survival awakens and sharpens the animal instincts of our protagonist. Following the actual news, this question became more and more urgent for me, as an European filmmaker: how would I behave if the war entered directly into my house?
LUISE tells the story of an awakening love, of emancipation and liberation. Luise discovers her own voice - and with it, the right to freely dispose of her body, her fantasies, and longings. She follows her instinct, even if she has to pay a very high price for it. In a war made and dictated by men, traditional gender roles come to the fore, both at the front and in everyday life at home. It was important to me to highlight the urgency of questioning and breaking those stereotypical role models, using a timeless and universal story. Matthias Luthardt