Both Sides of the Blade
Description
Master director Claire Denis reunites with Juliette Binoche to tell the passionate story of a woman torn between two men. Binoche plays radio host Sara, currently married to Jean (Vincent Lindon), a former rugby star. When her ex-lover, François (Gregoire Colin), re-enters their orbit with a job offer for Jean and a romantic reconnection with Sara, the ensuing emotional turmoil wreaks havoc on all their lives. Female passion has long fascinated Denis, depicted in films that veer comedic (Let the Sunshine In, 2017; Nenette and Boni, Festival 1996) or more dramatic (Friday Night, Festival 2002). Both Sides of the Blade is in the latter vein, as the actors traverse the landscapes of their characters’ hearts with all the heat that the title implies. Frequent collaborator Stuart Staples of Tindersticks provides the evocative score.
This program was formerly titled Fire.
PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Camilla & George Smith
After studying film at L’Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC), Claire Denis began her career as an assistant director, working on such projects as Dusan Makavejev’s Sweet Movie (1974), Costa-Gravas’ Hanna K. (1983), and Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas (1984) and Wings of Desire (Festival 1988). In 1988, she made her feature writing/directing debut with Chocolat, and has gone to establish herself, in the words of David Thomson as, “one of the most intriguing and provocative filmmakers of any kind.” Among her films are I Can’t Sleep (Festival 1995), Nénette and Boni (Festival 1997), Beau Travail (Festival 2000), 35 Shots of Rum (Festival 2009), White Material (2009), Let the Sunshine In (2017), and High Life (Festival 2019). In 2021, she was awarded the Jean Vigo Honorary Prize for her body of work. She received the Berlin International Film Festival’s Best Director Silver Berlin Bear for Both Sides of the Blade (2022).
Film Details
Language French
Original Language Title Avec amour et acharnement
Year 2022
Runtime 116
Country France
Director Claire Denis
Executive Producer Christine De Jekel
Producer Olivier Delbosc
Writer Christine Angot, Claire Denis
Editor Sandie Bompar, Guy Lecorne, Emmanuelle Pencalet
Cinematographer Eric Gautier
Music Stuart Staples
Cast Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, Grégoire Colin
Print Source IFC FilmsDanielle.Freiberg@ifcfilms.com http://www.ifcfilms.com
Closed Captions Closed captions are not available for this screening.
Audio Description Audio description is not available for this screening.
American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is not currently scheduled for this event. For more information about ASL interpretation at our events, e-mail ADA@SFFilm.org.
