Louise... l'insoumise (1985)
Directed by Charlotte Silvera

Film Review

This noteworthy first film from director Charlotte Silvera isn't just a coming of age drama, of the kind that is so admirably handled by French cinema, but also a thoughtful social drama which touches on issues as complex as racial integration and cultural identity. Filmed with a low-key dramatic style which gives it the feel of a true-life documentary, Louise... l'insoumise succeeds mainly on the strength of the convincing performances from its cast of child actors, in particular the attention-monopolising Myriam Stern who impresses as the eponymous Louise. Whilst some of the film's political messages feel a little contrived and unnecessarily shoehorned into the picture (particularly the repeated references to the Algerian situation), the central thrust of the narrative - Louise's overwhelming desire to escape - is masterfully realised.

Similarities with François Truffaut's Les 400 coups (1959) are apparent - both films deal sensitively with a headstrong adolescent who rebels against an oppressive family background.  Whilst Silvera's film is less satisfying artistically and emotionally, it has the added poignancy of a domestic situation that was much harsher than Truffaut, indeed most of us, could ever know. Silvera followed this up with an uncompromising prison drama Prisonnières (1988) and quirky romantic drama C'est la tangente que je préfère (1997).

Film Synopsis

A family of Tunisian Jews settles in a suburb of Paris in the early 1960s.  The mother, Edith, governs her children with an iron hand, determined that they should all strictly adhere to her family's religious customs.  Influenced by her classmates and what she sees on the television, Edith's ten-year-old daughter Louise becomes ever more rebellious and dreams of the freedom that her friends take for granted, such as being able to go out to play after school.  Things come to a head when Louise is invited to a school friend's birthday party one Saturday afternoon...