"A way of being in the world that’s a little different from others." Just like the protagonist in The Incredible Snow Woman [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sébastien Betbeder
scheda film], presented in the Panorama section of the 75th Berlinale, Sébastien Betbeder has, over the course of his career, which now boasts nine feature films (screened in Locarno, Cannes’ ACID section and Toronto), always cultivated an undeniably singular approach, treading the line between comedy and drama.

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Juxtaposing silent, impending tragedy (a woman is going to die, the audience soon realises) with a succession of nigh-on ludicrous situations unfolding during the return of this clearly disturbed heroine to her family’s roots in the Jura region, the French filmmaker’s new opus pushes the boundaries of this particular recipe even further. And in order to lend a sweeping visual dimension and a dash of philosophical reflection to an ensemble which could only ever have been a chamber piece, revolving around siblings coming together at a time of hardship, the director has set half of his story in the confines of the North Atlantic and the Arctic where he previously made Journey to Greenland [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Frédéric Dubreuil
scheda film] in 2016 and where the Inuit culture (for whom "the invisible is part of the landscape") offers up a whole other mystical approach to the end of life period than the western world.

Being hit over the head with a saucepan, courtesy of her fearful but kind brother Basile (Philippe Katerine), is how Coline (Blanche Gardin) - a 46-year-old explorer who knows (but doesn’t reveal) that her death is approaching - is welcomed into the family home which she hasn’t set foot in for years. What doesn’t help her secretly desperate situation is that this solitary woman who’s spent her entire life trying to comprehend the world’s mysteries and find the meaning of life by exploring immensity without ever fearing the void, has been fired from her job as a researcher (for harassment, drunkenness and a kidnapping attempt, among other accusations). She’s also just found out that her partner is leaving her after 18 years spent together, minus the adventurer’s lengthy absences. In short, she’s returned to the village a ticking, emotional timebomb ("apparently you’re terrifying people") to the point that her other brother, Lolo (Bastien Bouillot), is called in to help. But there are more surprises to come for these two brothers who are affectionate towards but tired of their sister…

With unbridled and often hilarious irony, as if to looking defuse the most achingly poignant emotions accompanying this final journey, The Incredible Snow Woman charts the spiritual trajectory of an unusual individual in search of freedom, carting a depressive legacy around with her and looking for "a good day to die", along the lines of Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man (a reference openly cited in the film). It perfectly epitomises the tone of this film scrutinising serious subjects, over which it’s always better to laugh than to cry.

The Incredible Snow Woman was produced by Envie de Tempête Productions in co-production with Pastorale Productions and Sedna Explore. Be For Films are steering international sales.