In La Promesse Verte, Edouard Bergeon tackles a highly topical issue: the devastating consequences of deforestation forpalm oil production in Indonesia. Starring Alexandra Lamy as Carole, and Félix Moati as her son Martin, this drama depicts the desperate struggle of a mother ready to do anything to save her son, unjustly condemned to death.
La Promesse Verte will be broadcast on Disney+ from August 28, 2025.
Synopsis: In a bid to save her son Martin, unjustly condemned to death in Indonesia, Carole embarks on an unequal battle against the palm oil companies responsible for deforestation and powerful industrial lobbies.
The film's strength lies in its ability to humanize the fight against deforestation and industrial lobbies, by highlighting the personal stories of the individuals affected.Alexandra Lamy's performance, known for her roles in films such as Le Sens de la fête and L'Embarras du choix, or more recently in Zodi and Tehu: frères du désert, reaches new depths here, brilliantly illustrating a mother's determination and suffering in the face of injustice. As for Félix Moati, he continues to establish himself as one of the most promising French actors of his generation, following outstanding performances in La Vraie Famille and Le Grand Bain.
Beyond its captivating plot, La Promesse Verte also serves as a wake-up call on the dangers of irresponsible exploitation of natural resources.Edouard Bergeon's direction, following on from his previous work Au nom de la terre, confirms his commitment to strong social and environmental issues, placing human beings at the heart of his cinematic concerns.
This film is not just a tale of struggle and resilience; it's also a call to awareness and action against the destructive practices that threaten our planet. With powerful performances and a poignant message, La Promesse Verte promises to be a must-see for audiences aware of contemporary ecological issues, marking an important moment in French committed cinema.
Our opinion on La Promesse Verte :
In the world of ecological cinema, Edouard Bergeon's La Promesse Verte stands out for its captivating narrative, which skilfully blends environmental issues with a profound personal tragedy. Marking Edouard Bergeon's transition to global subjects after his poignant Au Nom de la Terre, the film explores the complexity of environmental and personal struggles through the prism of a family and legal drama in Indonesia.
The plot of La Promesse Verte is based on the misadventure of Martin (Félix Moati), a young man from Les Sables d'Olonne, who, under the guise of working for an NGO in Indonesia and documenting his thesis on deforestation, finds himself wrongly implicated in a drug trafficking case, leading to his death sentence. This miscarriage of justice serves as the backdrop for a larger story about environmental destruction and conflicts between local communities and industrial interests.
Edouard Bergeon uses an effective combination of cinematographic techniques to immerse the viewer in the story. Shots alternate between the tranquility of nature and the aggressiveness of human actions, illustrating the striking contrast between the beauty of the natural environment and the devastation caused by man's greed. The striking scene of a militia firing on villagers at a wedding, captured by Martin, encapsulates the brutality of the struggle for land and survival.
Alexandra Lamy, as Martin's combative mother Carole, delivers a moving performance, embodying a mother's pain and determination in the face of injustice. Carole's distress, torn between the struggle to save her son and the imperative to fight for the truth, is rendered with an intensity that underlines the quality of Edouard Bergeon's direction.
Beyond its plot, La Promesse Verte invites us to reflect on the implications of activism in regions where laws are rigorously enforced and often manipulated. Martin's situation highlights the risks faced by those who choose to take a stand against environmental and social injustice, in contexts where human rights are constantly under threat.
With La Promesse Verte, Edouard Bergeon confirms his ability to treat profound subjects with sensitivity and intelligence. By linking the ecological struggle to a tragic human story, the film doesn't just denounce; it questions the values, choices and sacrifices required in the quest for justice and environmental preservation. This work, which follows Au Nom de la Terre, reinforces Edouard Bergeon's position as a committed director, capable of navigating between the personal and the universal, making La Promesse Verte an essential film for understanding the ecological and human issues of our time.
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