Mouchette

One of the most devastating films in the history of cinema, and one of Robert Bresson’s less frequently seen works, Mouchette is a stark reminder of the dark underbelly of a world where innocence is doomed. The adaptation of Georges Bernanos’ novel takes the form of an almost transcendental parable populated by dysfunctional people who project their own fears, frustrations and pain onto a teenage girl. Taking care of her sick mother and younger brother, rejected by her alcoholic father and ridiculed by the villagers, Mouchette is a tragic figure akin to Bresson’s other protagonists: with every passing minute of her life, she becomes more and more aware of the cruelty that is inextricably inscribed in human nature. Raw, minimalist, and devoid of sentimentality, the film embodies the French cinematographer’s fervent belief in the idea of pure cinema.

Patrycja Mucha

Robert Bresson (1901-1999) was a French director and writer. Initially a painter, he turned to  cinema in the 1930s and started his career for good in 1943, when he made his feature debut with Angels of Sin. Over the next four decades, he made such films as Pickpocket (1959), Au hasard Balthazar (1966) and L’Argent (1983). While he did not enjoy much popularity among the masses, he garnered a great deal of critical acclaim.

4K restoration.