Chosen by Jeani and Tom
The film
An Austrian-French 2005 film (originally Caché). Georges is a tv literary chat-show host, his wife Anne works in publishing and their 12-year-old son Pierrot is 'on the verge of puberty'. They begin to receive surveillance videotapes of their home, delivered anonymously. The tapes become more complex and lead George to the home of Majid, who he knew as a child. It emerges that Majid's parents had worked for George's wealthy family. They died in the Paris massacre of Algerians in 1961, and George's parents planned to adopt Majid; but six-year-old George became jealous and manipulated his departure. To this day, George is defensively guilty about this episode.
The response
What a memorable film! One of us 'didn't like it'; some had mixed views; some enjoyed it. But is that how we judge a film? Everyone was intrigued by the plot; the characters; the agonisingly long, lingering shots. Confused, powerful-victim-in-denial-Georges; bemused, angry, distant Anne; deeply unhappy Majid. How do their confusions translate to their sons' lives? (We might think we know, until the final lingering shot which confuses the viewer even more). Who's watching whom? When are we - the viewer - watching 'reality' and when are we watching a 'film'? Whether it's how one is feeling, or a major human rights abuse such as the Paris massacre of Algerians in 1961- how complicit is anyone in hiding the truth?
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