Les fraises des bois

A sombre film in a peculiarly realist style, Les fraises des bois depicts the revolt that lurks beneath a deceptive tranquillity. Violette and Gabriel are two young people who experience the violence of our times. For Violette, the danger lies within her own family. Gabriel, a thirtysomething gay man, is an inconspicuous victim of the economic meltdown. From hesitant meetings to chance encounters, as the seasons pass they try to free themselves from contingencies. But the path before them is unpredictable, and their solutions radical. Based on a little news item, Les fraises des bois is Dominique Choisy’s second feature film, after Confort moderne. Filmed in Amiens over the course of an entire year, it paints a sober picture of the loss of bearings, prostitution, crime and madness to which its characters succumb. Horror and grace co-exist in this film that can’t be categorized and has no moral judgement, like a modern fairy tale that is hard at times and sensitive and poetic at others, carefully put together by a small crew on a modest budget. An ingenious feature film that reminds us that it is possible to create a quality work with few resources. –Image-Nation.org