Amour

Georges and Anne, both in their eighties, enjoy a quiet life in their Paris apartment. Retired music teachers, their days are filled with books, classical music, and comfortable routines. Their quiet existence is shattered when Anne suffers a stroke, leaving her partially paralysed. Faced with his wife's gradual decline, Georges devotes himself entirely to caring for her, steadfastly refusing any outside help. Within the confines of their apartment, their once harmonious life transforms into a poignant battle against aging and suffering. As time passes, their love is challenged by isolation, physical pain, and Anne's diminishing sense of self. Georges, driven by unwavering devotion, struggles to preserve their shared humanity and memories. However, Anne's anguish and the sheer weight of the situation reveal profound vulnerabilities, prompting heartbreaking questions about mortality and the boundaries of sacrifice.

Winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012, Amour is a deeply moving portrait of old age and a poignant reflection on love and death. With heartbreaking sobriety, Michael Haneke explores the intimate bonds between two people faced with the inevitable. A work of rare intensity, it questions our humanity with profound universality.

Thibault Ramet (Lettres, UNIL)