The Innocent (2018 film)
| The Innocent | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Film poster | |
| German | Der Unschuldige |
| Directed by | Simon Jaquemet |
| Written by | Simon Jaquemet |
| Produced by | Tolga Dilsiz Aurelius Eisenreich |
| Starring | Judith Hofmann Naomi Scheiber Thomas Schuepbach |
| Cinematography | Gabriel Sandru |
| Edited by | Christof Schertenleib |
Production companies | 8horses GmbH Augenschein Filmproduktion GmbH ZDF Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen ARTE Teleclub AG |
| Distributed by | Ascot Elite Entertainment (Switzerland) Film Kino Text (Germany) |
Release date |
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Running time | 114 minutes |
| Countries | Switzerland Germany |
| Language | Swiss German |
The Innocent (German: Der Unschuldige) is a 2018 Swiss-German drama film written and directed by Simon Jaquemet. It stars Judith Hofmann as Ruth, whose life is disrupted by the return of her former lover. The film had its world premiere in the Platform section at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, and Hofmann later won Best Actress at the 2019 Swiss Film Awards.[1][2]
Synopsis
Ruth is a devout Christian who works in neuroscience. When her former lover reappears after twenty years in prison, her sense of reality begins to unravel.[1]
Cast
The cast includes:[1]
- Judith Hofmann as Ruth
- Naomi Scheiber as Naomi
- Christian Kaiser as Hanspeter
- Thomas Schüpbach as Andreas
- Anna Tenta as Meike
- Urs-Peter Wolters as Paul
Production
Jaquemet said the film was inspired by a television report about a woman who continued to believe in her fiancé’s innocence after he had been sentenced to life imprisonment. He also said that a dream later helped shape the project.[3]
Reception
Awards
At the 2019 Swiss Film Awards, the film was nominated for Best Fiction Film and Best Cinematography. Judith Hofmann won Best Actress, and Simon Jaquemet was nominated for Best Screenplay.[1][4]
Critical response
The Hollywood Reporter described the film as ambitious and well performed, but considered it a letdown and criticised it as messily told. The review also praised Judith Hofmann’s performance, while arguing that the film left too much open to interpretation and did not fully develop its characters.[5]
Variety described the film as a coolly intellectual drama and praised Judith Hofmann’s performance. The review said it unfolds like a slow-motion thriller, while suggesting it was only partly successful in placing the audience in Ruth’s perspective.[6]
Filmdienst described the film as a drama told in the style of magical realism, centred on faith, delusion, and reality. The review praised Judith Hofmann’s lead performance and rated the film as worth seeing.[7]
Festival screenings
The film had its world premiere in the Platform section at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.[2][8] In 2019, it was screened at festivals including the Jeonju International Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival, and the Haifa International Film Festival. In 2021, it was screened at the Kaohsiung Film Festival.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Der Unschuldige". Swiss Films (in German). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Venedig, Toronto, San Sebastián: Weltpremieren DER UNSCHULDIGE und DER LÄUFER, Kurzfilme, Koproduktionen und Jean-Luc Godard". Swiss Films (in German). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ "Neu im Kino - «Der Unschuldige» entfacht den Glauben ans heimische Kino neu". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2 November 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ Ben Dalton, "'Those Who Work', 'Chris The Swiss' win three each at 2019 Swiss Film Awards". Screen Daily, 22 March 2019.
- ↑ Boyd Van Hoeij, "‘The Innocent’ (‘Der Unschuldige’): Film Review | TIFF 2018". The Hollywood Reporter, 27 September 2018.
- ↑ Peter Debruge, "Film Review: ‘The Innocent’". Variety, 30 September 2018.
- ↑ "Der Unschuldige". Filmdienst (in German). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ Stephen Whitty, "'The Innocent': Toronto Review". Screen Daily, 9 September 2018.
External links
- The Innocent at IMDb