Les fantômes de Louba

I saw this film twice, about six months apart under two different titles: Les Yeux Baissés & Les Phantomes de Louba. I'm glad that it had two titles, because I never would have bothered to see the first film again. This is a story in two parts, a long remembrance of childhood and early teen years, followed by the tale of confusion and revenge as late twenties "adults".

On first viewing, I wrote: "Clunky, but solid exploration of identity by daughter of holocaust survivor". Most of the acting seemed acceptable, but the transition from the childhood story to the adult story seemed forced and clunky. I was not always aware that the adult characters were the same people that we had seen as teenagers.

The second viewing, the characters seemed richer, The transitions were more clear, and the subtleties of neediness and love were more prominent in the adult revenge story.

Still, the most vivid and touching performance was by Julia Levy-Boeken, as the 13 year old Louba.

The film is aptly named, because it is truly haunting. The performance of the actress who plays Louba as a teenager is especially memorable, but it is an extraordinary film, beautifully acted and directed.