L'Humanité

Dumont's second feature film caused controversy in Cannes - also because the Jury under David Cronenberg awarded the amateur actors the prizes for best acting. When a girl is brutally raped and murdered in a quiet French village, a policeman who can barely access his own feelings investigates the crime. It is the story of a simple young man with modest knowledge but great faith in everyone. He is a stern, unassuming man who feels the pain of others and suffers constantly from his own compassion. Through his work, a gruesome investigation, his despair and confusion about the monstrous nature of humanity is slowly revealed.