How Novelist Christine Angot Came to Make a Film About Her Family’s Reaction to Revelation That Her Father Repeatedly Raped Her
variety.comLeo Barraclough International Features Editor In Christine Angot‘s documentary “A Family,” which premieres Sunday in the Encounters section of the Berlin Film Festival, the French novelist explores how various members of her family reacted to the revelation that she was repeatedly raped by her father from the age of 13.
The film starts with a startling confrontation between Angot and her stepmother in Strasbourg, with Angot pushing her way into her stepmother’s apartment with a camera-person and proceeding to question the woman about Angot’s late father’s crimes and the wife’s view on that.
Angot says that this incident was not planned at all. In fact, the documentary itself was not planned. It started when Angot went to Strasbourg as part of a book signing tour to support the publication of “Le Voyage dans l’Est,” which focuses on those in her inner circle who knew of the abuse and failed to intervene.
She decided to invite her friend Caroline Champetier, a cinematographer, to accompany her, but without a clear idea of what would be achieved.
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