''See the Sea'' (original title: ''Regarde la mer'') is a 1997 French

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

written and directed by

François Ozon François Ozon (; born 15 November 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter. Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers. His films are characterized by aesthetic beauty, sharp satirical humor and a free-wheeli ...

and starring Sasha Hails as a young British mother living in a small seaside village in France who takes in a malevolent homeless drifter (played by

Marina de Van Marina de Van (; born 8 February 1971) is a French film director, screenwriter and actress. Her film, '' Don't Look Back'', was screened out of competition at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Her brother is , he appeared with her in the 1998 f ...

) while her husband is away on business.

Plot

An Englishwoman named Sasha lives on France's

Île d'Yeu Île d'Yeu () or L'Île-d'Yeu, is an island and commune just off the Vendée coast of western France. The island's two harbors, Port-Joinville in the north and Port de la Meule to the south, in a rocky inlet of the southern granite coast, are fam ...

with her husband, who is often away for business, and their infant daughter, Sioffra. One day a young female drifter appears at their door and asks Sasha for permission to pitch her tent in the garden. At first reserved and reluctant, Sasha eventually allows the drifter to camp in the yard. The women begin to develop a relationship with each other. Sasha decides to go shopping and leaves Sioffra in the care of the drifter, though irritated by the latter's unusual behavior. When she returns to find everything in order, Sasha finally invites the drifter to sleep inside the house. That night, the drifter sneaks into Sasha's room and strips naked while watching her sleep. Sasha's husband returns home the following day and finds the house empty. In the tent behind the house, he finds Sasha dead and bound, her vagina sewn shut. The drifter, now wearing Sasha's dress, carries the crying Sioffra on a ferry leaving the island.

Reception

''See the Sea'' received positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and compared it to the films of Alfred Hitchcock."See the Sea Movie Review", RogerEbert.com, January 15, 1999
Retrieved April 27, 2019

Cast

*Sasha Hails as Sasha *

as Tatiana *Samantha as Sioffra, The Baby *Paul Raoux as Sasha's Husband

References

External links

* 1997 films French thriller films 1990s French-language films 1997 thriller films French short films Films directed by François Ozon 1990s French films Films produced by Olivier Delbosc {{1990s-France-film-stub