The Ice Tower – Film Review

Director – Lucile Hadzihalilovic
Writers – Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Geoff Cox, Alante Kavaite
Stars – Marion Cotillard, Clara Pacini, August Diehl

Part of the French Film Festival at the IFI, Dublin.

This film is set in an ice-covered town in the 1970s. We meet Jeanne (Clara Pacini) as she leaves her foster home in search of a better life. She travels to a nearby town where she needs a place to stay. She breaks into a building to find a warm place to sleep. The building turns out to be a film studio that is making a version of the Snow Queen, which stars the famous movie star, Cristina Van Den Berg (Marion Cotillard).

This is a new film by Lucile Hadzihalilovic, who directed works such as Evolution and Earwig. This is another tale that flirts with the edges of reality. The piece is seen through the eyes of Jeanne (Clara Pacini), with Cristina/ The Snow Queen used sparingly at the beginning of the work.

The film is not heavy on dialogue and allows the viewer to interpret what they are seeing. You are immersed in the world of the protagonist, almost inside her head. It is quite inventive in its approach to storytelling. In many scenes, you’re not sure what you’re watching, whether what is on screen is the ‘film within the film’ or a dream inside the head of our main protagonist. This unsure footing is one of the highlights of the piece. The visuals are strong throughout, and there are many lasting images created. It has a loose grip on reality, but it’s a piece that will transport you into this world of snow and ice.