Presented as a world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight, Continental Drift (to the south) by Lionel Baier (The long waves, The vanity) plays with the codes. Halfway between comedy, drama and political satire, the director dissects the conflictual reunion between a mother (Nathalie) played by Isabelle Carré and her son Albert, whom she abandoned years earlier. The latter is played by the young Canadian actor Théodore Pellerin, seen in the series Becoming a god.
Migration crisis
In this scathingly humorous film, there is the backdrop of the issue of the migration crisis and its management by the European authorities. Nathalie must organize the very symbolic arrival of Emmanuel Macron and Angela merkel in a camp of refugees in Sicily. The arrival of his son, an activist with an NGO, could change everything. Between pretense and communication techniques, the director criticizes the facade actions of the European Union towards these exiles.
A touching feature film carried by this luminous duo on the screen. “When there is a beautiful encounter like this, there is an extra sparkle in the eye”, explains Isabelle Carré. “I really admire her and now she is very dear to me”adds Théodore Pellerin. To discover Continental Drift (to the south)it will be necessary to be patient: to date its cinema release date has not yet been disclosed.
Continental Drift (to the south)presented at the Directors’ Fortnight at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival
