White Material

In this drama directed and co-written by Claire Denis, Isabelle Huppert plays Maria, a white woman living in an African nation that has been falling into political chaos. Maria owns a coffee plantation in a former French colony. But the country is gripped by civil war and the terrified workers flee as increasingly violent clashes between the army and the rebel militia grow ever nearer. Maria regards her property as her personal domain; she would rather fight than give up her land, though her stubborn attitude prevents her from admitting that she's putting those close to her in danger. As brutal and heavily armed soldiers advance, the headstrong Maria stands defiant in the face of impending disaster.

One of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, Claire Denis’ riveting and powerful thriller examines the highly charged and controversial legacy of colonialism. A visually stunning and emotionally intense tour de force that virtually explodes off the screen, the film is relentlessly tense and forbidding, portraying a world that is on the point of collapsing into anarchy. Yet despite the bleakness of its subject, the film also possesses a haunting lyrical quality, nourished by the beauty of the African setting, making it apparent just why the white protagonists are so reluctant to leave their land.