Zoé is running away. With not a cent to her name, she roams through an anonymous part of France. Via desolate petrol stations and dismal suburbs, she eventually reaches the English Channel, where she slips aboard a ferry. Some time later, she arrives in Brighton, clad in a stolen coat.
Narrative is minimal in Cherry Pie, as is dialogue. What exactly motivates Zoé, what she thinks, where she is going – we can only guess. She slowly sinks into a catatonic silence. We, the viewers, watch all this from uncomfortably close-by. The camera is constantly trained on Zoé; we hardly see any other characters.
Actress Lolita Chammah embodies the lost loneliness of this damaged soul. Director/cameraman Lorenz Merz records her state of mind in atmospheric shades of silver, but can also be cruel – several times, a hand appears from behind the camera and gives Zoé a good shake. Cherry Pie is an intense emotional drama that takes place between, and is by, two people.
Film details
- Country of production
- Switzerland
- Year
- 2013
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2014
- Length
- 85'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
