BLACK SHEEP

L’HOMME D’ARGILE

2023 / 94 min / color

The debut feature from French director Anais Tellenne was enthusiastically received at last year’s Venice Film Festival. Its protagonist Raphael (an electrifying Raphael Thiery) is approaching 60 and lives with his mother in a secluded villa in the woods, where he works as a gardener and part-time handyman. He leads a rather solitary life, playing the bagpipes in his free time. But one day the owner of the estate shows up unexpectedly — she’s a liberated and intriguing artist covered in tattoos (played by the charismatic Emmanuelle Devos). Her name is Garance, and she specializes in bold performance pieces. Garance convinces Raphael to model for a new series of clay sculptures, bringing unfamiliar conflicts and chaos into his world. Tellenne tells this story of a cyclopic, almost mythical Other, juxtaposing the poetics of fairy tales with a hard-hitting psychological drama. She addresses ethical problems around modern art, which can often straddle a fine line between objectification and emancipation — an issue fully embodied by the film’s fascinating protagonist.

• Busan IFF – Audience Award