• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Film

Cannes 2018: Girls of the Sun – First Look Review

It would be so easy to become swept up in the obvious, outward significance of Eva Husson’s Girls of the Sun. The first of only three films to play in this year’s Official Competition to be directed by a woman, the Saturday night premiere screening was preceded by a silent red-carpet protest, in which 82 […]

James McAllister by James McAllister
2018-05-14 15:45
in Film, Film Reviews
Girls of the Sun (Eva Husson)

Girls of the Sun (Eva Husson)

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

It would be so easy to become swept up in the obvious, outward significance of Eva Husson’s Girls of the Sun. The first of only three films to play in this year’s Official Competition to be directed by a woman, the Saturday night premiere screening was preceded by a silent red-carpet protest, in which 82 female figures from within the film industry walked the steps of the Palais, led by Jury President Cate Blanchett. The number is significant, representing each of the 82 directors who have competed for the Palme d’Or during the festival’s 71-year history. By comparison, 1645 male directors have seen their films play in Competition here in Cannes over the same period of time.

That Girls of the Sun is such a bravura piece of filmmaking perfectly underscores the reasons why Cannes finally needs to dispense with its fatuous fascination of male auteurs. Based on the true story of an all-female Yazidi combat unit who fought to recapture their territory from Islamic State extremists, the film is an explosive & empathetic account of the struggles faced, and the sacrifices made by the titular battalion in the name of freedom.

Golshifteh Farahani plays Bahar, commander of the eponymous Girls of the Sun faction, currently located somewhere in Kurdistan. Once an aspiring lawyer, Bahar’s life was, like that of her comrades, torn apart by the arrival of ISIS in her region. Having seen her husband killed, her son snatched away to be sent to a jihadist school, and been forced to spend two years in captivity being sold as sexual merchandise before escaping, Bahar and her squad are now preparing to liberate her hometown from the hands of these radicals, driven by their shared cause: Women, Life, Liberty.

Husson teases out the details of Bahar’s past, through flashback, with a stark and brutal fragility, yet for the most part the tone remains one of volatile rage. It’s staunchly feminist, right down to the anthem the Girls sing before heading into battle, and directed with both a heart-rending emotional ferocity, and a formidably brawny, gung-ho execution that’s reminiscent of Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker and Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.

Accusations of the film being manipulative or naïve strike one as false, as if Husson’s more mainstream approach somehow diminishes the film’s impact. There’s a traumatically raw sense of place here, a palpable fear that as the Girls move closer to their target, and their numbers begin to diminish, something as innocuous as stepping on the right stone could be the difference between life and death.

There are faults, though, particularly in the handling of Emmanuelle Bercot’s Mathilde, a French war correspondent embedded within the Girls’ company. More of a plot device than a fully-formed character, Bercot succeeds in channelling the fearless determination of a reporter resolute in her mission to bring back the ‘real story’ of life on the frontline, but is let down by needlessly editorialised dialogue that regularly causes the script to become somewhat unfocused. By contrast, Farahani is given far greater room to manoeuvre, and Girls of the Sun is very much at its best when carried by her impassioned conviction. Bahar’s journey may be familiar, but I was with it for every harrowing step

Keep Up To Date With Our Cannes 2018 Coverage
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/film/cannes-2018-girl-first-look-review/14/05/

RelatedPosts

Give Them Wings Premiers in Darlington

Final Thoughts on Cannes 2022

Cannes 2022 Review: Tori and Lokita

Cannes 2022 Review: Pacifiction

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Watch – Farmer stunned after his ewe gave birth to SIX LAMBS

Weather forecast, alerts and UVB index for London, Sunday 14 February 2021

Aid workers describe the despair of Syria’s displacement camps

Florida reports record coronavirus cases as Disney World reopens

PM’s comments suggests prorogation was about Brexit even though government denied it in court

Depraved Cambridge graduate jailed for a total of 32 years after admitting 137 sexual abuse offences

Being a mum means… putting your child’s happiness before your own

VIDEO – “Put on a proper suit!” PM Chooses to Abuse Corbyn at PMQs

Umunna says Farage is echoing Enoch Powell

New Zealand is the best place to survive the apocalypse – but Britain isn’t far behind

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.