Writer-director Alain Guiraudie (Stranger By the Lake) serves up a twisted tale of seduction set in the picturesque French countryside. Returning to beautiful Saint-Martial for the funeral of his former boss, Jérémie (Félix Kysyl) becomes the object of attraction for widow Martine (Catherine Frot). The situation greatly displeases Martine’s son Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), and soon enough there is bloodshed in the woods. Jérémie then finds himself contending with the attention of the police and the amorous intentions of the local abbot (Jacques Develay)…
Edgy, eccentric, and unapologetically queer, Misericordia is also notable for the daring way it blurs boundaries: between maternal love and sexual desire, between violent animosity and same-sex attraction, between natural charisma and crafty calculation. Along with suspense and surprise, Guiraudie generates a subtle, slowly escalating humour; the shift from menace to comedy is executed with wonderful grace. In its movement from the bedroom to the confession booth and back, this film provides a discomfiting, darkly amusing take on human psychology.
Community Partner
Félix Kysyl, Catherine Frot
France/Spain/Portugal
2024
In French with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Charles Gillibert
Screenwriter
Alain Guiraudie
Cinematography
Claire Mathon
Editor
Jean-Christophe Hym
Production Design
Emmanuelle Duplay
Original Music
Marc Verdaguer
Alain Guiraudie
Alain Guiraudie is a French filmmaker acclaimed known for films like The King of Escape (2009) and Staying Vertical (2016). Guiraudie has garnered critical praise for his exploration of sexuality and human desire. His most notable film, Stranger by the Lake (2013), won the Queer Palm and Best Director Award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
Filmography: No Rest for the Braves (2003); Time Has Come (2005); The King of Escape (2009); Stranger by The Lake (2013); Staying Vertical (2016); Nobody’ Hero (2021)
Photo by Helene Bamberger
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Sirât
A desperate father (Sergi Lopez) searchers for his missing daughter through the spiritual wasteland of the Moroccan desert. An unforgettable sensory powerhouse, Sîrat will have you riveted and rattled for hours after the end credits have rolled.
2026 Oscar® Shorts (Documentary)
Don't come to the program of Oscar®-nominated documentary shorts for escapism. But let's talk about the Canadian contender, Perfectly a Strangeness, featuring an abandoned observatory and three donkeys. More of this, please.
Emergence: Women in the Storm
Stories of resistance and recovery, courage, creativity and community in the face of the climate emergency gleaned from women first responders and those impacted in Western Canada, particularly Lytton and the Fraser Valley.
