10e CHAMBRE, INSTANTS D'AUDIENCES

A riveting pageant of human behaviour on both sides of the law, THE 10th DISTRICT COURT is one of most satisfying, most beautiful documentaries of the year.

Legendary photographer and prolific documentarian Raymond Depardon became the first filmmaker ever to receive permission to film extensively inside a Paris courtroom. The result, a careful observation of judge, prosecutor and the ever-changing accused, shares a similar sense of curiosity for character as recent hit TO BE AND TO HAVE.

The star of the show is Madame Justice Michèle Bernard-Requin, a stern but fair adjudicator with a sharp intelligence and - if provoked - a temper. Her interrogations are occasionally terrifying; her compassion, when infrequently doled out, entirely appropriate. Each of the twelve depicted defendants (from the 169 filmed) pleads their case, and then sentences are requested. Later, after deliberation, the verdict is delivered. The suspense is unbearably palpable.

The defendants, be they contrite, defiant, confused or resigned, turn out to be more astonishing characters than you'd dare invent! A drunk driving Grandmother who claims she rarely drinks - and only consumes 'good' wine when she does: an unlicensed driver who reveals far more than he should; a pick-pocket; an illegal immigrant; a person accused of carrying a concealed weapon. Gripping, shocking and tender, THE 10TH DISTRICT COURT is a sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking, always compelling snapshot of the human condition, a not-to-be-missed Festival highlight.

France - 2004 - Documentary - 107 mins
In French with English subtitles

Director: Raymond Depardon