The Ladies of EVOLUTION

Lucile Hadžihalilovic returns with her sophomore film, the moody body-horror flick, Evolution. Hadžihalilovic is also known for her 2004 debut film Innocence, which is based off of the Frank Wedekind novella Mine-Haha or On the Bodily Education of Young Girls. Evolution follows the 11-year old Nicholas who lives with his mother in a seaside community, where Mengele-esque morbid practices are taking place on the boys in the community, in order to stunt or prevent their evolution. The film stars the captivating and cold Roxane Duran as a nurse named Stella and Julie-Marie Parmentier as Nicholas' mother. These two women who are no strangers to heavily dramatic stories.

Before Evolution, Roxane Duran starred in the award-winning drama The White Ribbon which concerns itself with social constructs in Germany before World War I. She also starred in Le Moine, which is an adaptation of the gothic Matthew Lewis novel, The Monk, which follows Vincent Cassel as the highly-regarded Capucin Ambrosio in the midst of his eventual downfall. Duran plays Soeur Agnés, one of many people who encounter Ambrosio as he falls deeper into the wills of Satan.

Julie-Marie Parmentier, equally well-equipped in the realm of dark cinema, is a French actress who is perhaps best known for Les Blessures Assassines (or Murderous Maids), which recounts a true story of sisters Christine and Lea Papin, who after years of brutality in their upbringing, decide to kill the people they work for, after first gouging out their eyes. Parmentier won Best Actress at the Mar del Plata Film Festival for her role as a murderous maid, as well as multiple other awards and nominations under her belt.

EVOLUTION screens:
Mon, Sept 14, 9:30 PM RYERSON
Wed, Sept 16, 4:30 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS
Sun, Sept 20, 8:30 PM BELL LIGHTBOX