About

“A film is not a play. It must be raw. In brief, I made it so that Joan seems as possible and realistic – or as impossible and unrealistic – now as she would have then.”

“Her imprudence, her magnificent insolence, are those of youth in any era. Her trial is the eternal trial. I see her with the eyes of a believer. I believe in the mysterious world on which she opens the door, then closes it.” – Robert Bresson

Working from the transcripts of the 15th Century trial of Joan of Arc, Bresson crafts a spare, grounded depiction of the legendary saint. Designed almost in opposition to the operatic expressionism of Carl Th Dreyer’s silent The Passion of Joan of Arc, this rendering strips any theatricality or historical ornamentation from the story, revealing a tale of strength and resilience that is powerfully modern.