Rosetta (film)
| Rosetta | |
|---|---|
Rosetta movie poster
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| Directed by |
Jean-Pierre Dardenne Luc Dardenne |
| Produced by |
Jean-Pierre Dardenne Luc Dardenne |
| Written by |
Jean-Pierre Dardenne Luc Dardenne |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Thomas Gauder |
| Cinematography | Alain Marcoen |
| Edited by | Marie-Hélène Dozo |
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Production
company |
Les Films du Fleuve
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| Distributed by | ARP Sélection (France) |
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Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
| Country | France Belgium |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $5.6 million |
Rosetta is a 1999 French-Belgian film written and directed by the Dardenne brothers. It is about a seventeen-year-old girl (played by Émilie Dequenne) who lives in a trailer park with her alcoholic mother. Trying to survive and to escape her situation, she makes numerous attempts towards securing a job allowing her to move away from the caravan and her dysfunctional mother in order to reach a stable life.
Contrary to popular belief the film did not inspire a new so called "Rosetta Law" in Belgium prohibiting employers from paying teen workers less than the minimum wage and other youth labor reforms. In a Guardian interview with the Dardenne brothers Jean-Pierre explained the misconception; "No, that law already existed, it just hadn't been voted through yet, the truth is always less interesting than the fiction."
When her probationary employment ends, Rosetta (Émilie Dequenne) causes a violent struggle against her manager and the policemen when she refuses to leave the premises. She returns home to "The Grand Canyon", the trailer park shared with her alcoholic mother who mends worn clothes for her to sell. Rosetta is also seen laying out traps to catch trout for food. Unable to receive unemployment pay and desperate for work, Rosetta goes around to ask about vacancies until she happens upon a waffle stand. She befriends the worker, Riquet (Fabrizio Rongione), after an inquiry. Rosetta treats her period cramps with pain relievers and a hairdryer massaging the area.
Riquet makes an unexpected visit to the trailer park, startling Rosetta. He informs her a coworker was fired and thus she will be able to have a job. Her mother's promiscuity resulting from alcoholism prompts Rosetta to encourage her to seek a rehabilitation clinic so they can finally have a better life. However, her persistent denial causes her mother to run away. Rosetta decides to stay with Riquet for the night. During the awkward evening, she discovers a waffle iron in his possession. As she lies in bed, she tries to convince herself that her life has started to function normally.
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Wikipedia