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Directed by
Giacomo Battiato (Karol, A Man Who Became Pope, Entrusted)
Starring
Benoît Magimel CESAR AWARDS WINNER (Standing Tall, The Piano Teacher, Against the wind)
Hippolyte Girardot (Christmas Tale, Caos Calmo, Lady Chatterley, Dolmen)
Karola Gruzchka
Ken Duken
Production
Georges Campana - Breakout Films
2020 (2008) / Original language: French, some English & Serbian / Color
Resolution 819: Adopted by the Security Council at its 3199th meeting on April 16th, 1993.
Resolution 819 tells the compelling story of a young investigator sent to Bosnia in 1995 to investigate the disappearance of 8,000 men in Srebrenica and eventually bring the perpetrators of the massacre to justice at the International Criminal Court.
Benoît Magimel stars as Jacques Calvez, a man of integrity who refuses to let politicians, mobsters or bureaucrats stand in his way. He receives valuable help in his quest from Lherbier (Hippolyte Girardot) a French secret service agent, and above all from beautiful forensic anthropologist Clara Kofsky (Karolina Gruszka).
Music by Ennio Morricone.
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JACQUES CALVEZ
Benoît Magimel
(Crime Insiders,
Sky Fighters,
Crimson Rivers 2,
The Piano Teacher – Best actor at the Cannes Film Festival 2001)
LHERBIER
Hippolyte Girardot
(Christmas Tale,
Caos Calmo,
Lady Chatterley,
Dolmen)
CLARA GORSKA
Karola Gruzchka
CARREMANS
Ken Duken
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Srebrenica, 1995. The story of the worst massacre in Europe since the end of World War 2. «Ethnic cleansing» at its most brutal, right in the heart of Europe. In an area that we, Europeans, had committed to protect.
The film tells the story of a 35-year-old cop, Jacques Calvez, whose investigation takes him into an ongoing conflict. It’s his «journey into hell», which is also a journey towards truth and justice. The film’s aim is not simply to recount «the facts», but also to show the horror and pain provoked by the unraveling of these facts, and the questions about humanity and inhumanity that confront both protagonists on every step of this difficult journey.
GIACOMO BATTIATO
Resolution 819 focuses on issues that are still very much in the news today, as shown by the recent arrest of Radovan Karadzic. It’s an opportunity to get a sense of the huge job done by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia. The prosecutors, judges and investigators, including “our” French cop, really are “righteous ones” for whom it’s not over until the principal criminals are behind bars.
The consultants, who contributed to our research and Thierry Jonquet’s writing process, ensured us access to essential protagonists in the Bosnian-Serbian conflict: Serbian reporters, French soldiers posted to Bosnia, members of the secret services present in Sarajevo, former French ministers, members of Military Intelligence.
Sadly, the events of this film are only too real, even if portrayed by fictional characters. Our intent was not to make an “anti-Serbian” film, but to convey commonly acknowledged events, which occurred in the context of a massacre carried out by the DRINA CORPS, the Bosnian Serbian army.
GEORGES CAMPANA
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A moving and efficient film. A magnificent performance from Benoît Magimel as Calvez.
LE POINT
Benoît Magimel is flawless in his role. The characters of Mladic and his commanding officer Momcilo Draganovic are portrayed by two Serbian actors who lend a great deal of realism to the film. Canal Plus has once again risen to meet the challenge.
LE MONDE
A very realistic movie. A must-see... Great actor performances. A brilliant portrayal of the Bosnian war, accessible to the general public.
LE FIGARO
A top score for the screenplay, the director and the actors. A regal cast. Not a single detail has been left to chance. The reconstitution of events is utterly flawless. An amazingly true-to-life film. The actors’ performances are right on. Benoît Magimel’s performance as Calvez is perfect. The supporting characters are unsettling in their realism. In short, a film that should not be missed under any circumstance.
FRANCE SOIR
Jacques Calvez is brilliantly portrayed by Benoît Magimel. The Bulgarian actor Ilic breathes utter realism into his role as Mladic. Resolution 819 has the great merit of reminding the general public of the massacre.
LIBERATION
An atypical cop, accurately portrayed by Benoît Magimel, who never overacts for a single second.
L'HUMANITE
A sober and effective fiction. Terrific.
LA CROIX
A hard-hitting document that is more relevant than ever.
METRO
The film’s power resides in the selection of Georges Campana and Thierry Jonquet as screenwriters and Giacomo Battiato as director. Their rigorous and subtle work, coupled with Benoît Magimel’s sober performance, result in a very sound balance of fiction and reality.
L'HUMANITE DIMANCHE
A hard-hitting film. A fiction as taut as a thriller and more thoroughly documented than a documentary. A highly relevant film.
VSD
A hard-hitting movie. Remarkable.
LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE
A powerful, accurate and realistic fiction.
LA VIE
Astounding fiction.
STUDIO
A commendable work of memory.
CINELIVE
Powerful work of fiction, based on a true event.
Benoît Magimel is brilliant. A solid screenplay. Excellent performances. A film that painfully questions our history.
TELERAMA
An impressive fiction. Subtly played by Benoît Magimel.
TELEOBS
An uncompromising film.
TELE7JOURS
Realistic, harsh, poignant but necessary. Ruez is brilliantly portrayed by Benoît Magimel.
TELE2SEMAINES
A skillfully made film... full of vitality, it sizzles. An exciting film
LA STAMPA
Resolution 819, a brilliant, outstanding film
MV MOVIES.IT
Powerful… Staggering, harrowing
CIOCIARIA
