“Leaving the Night”, an examination of life after rape

The meaning of “the world” – you have to see

First quarter of an hour Leave the nightThe beautiful title of Delphine Girard’s first feature film is an amazing thriller full of mystery and suspense: it is quite simply taken from the young Belgian director’s multi-award-winning short film. and (2018), nominated for an Oscar in 2020. The first image throws us onto the asphalt of the road lit by headlights. A car speeding at night, a man and a woman, and not a word between them. He drives, his gaze fixed, finally saying that he has to call his sister, who is looking after his daughter, and has tried to contact her several times. The camera is placed behind the two thirty, leaving plenty of room for dialogue. The man finally gets impatient: “who are you talking to? “

On the other end of the line is a police operator. We find him in his office, located at the top of the tower, in an open space where agents take emergency calls. At first, he doesn’t understand. Who is this woman who asks about the news of the baby and tells him that he will be home soon? “Are you free to speak?” “”No. » A race against time ensues as cameraman Anna (Veerle Baetens) and her colleagues attempt to geo-locate the car, then send the police to retrieve the driver. Seeing the flashing light, he realizes that he has been cooked and gives up.

Magnetic game

This accurate story is inspired by a true story in the United States, which the director discovered thanks to a recorded call on YouTube. Leave the night A sequel to a short film, the film examines the days, weeks and months leading up to this evening’s rape trial. At first, Ali (Selma Alaoui) meets Daria (Guillaume Duhesme), a professional firefighter, during an evening at a cafe. They like it, decide to go somewhere else, cross the road, continue drinking. Things then escalate and Dari forces Ali to have sex.

We definitely find out about this rape later. The filmmaker gives the characters time to reveal themselves, to understand the actions and the ground that slips under their feet.

The density of the first minutes gives way to the story of everyday life burdened by sheds. Will Ali file a complaint, will they believe him? The film explores the mood of the victim and the aggressor, but also of the policeman. Anna is not satisfied with saving the young woman from afar thanks to her understanding of the situation. He wants to know what is happening to him and starts a reasonable investigation, going beyond the scope of his mission.