''If the Sun Never Returns'' (french: Si le soleil ne revenait pas) is a Franco-Swiss film directed by

Claude Goretta Claude Goretta (23 June 1929 – 20 February 2019) was a Swiss television producer and film director. Life and Career His 1973 film '' L'Invitation'' was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His 1981 film '' La pr ...

, with a script written by the director, from the original novel by

Charles Ferdinand Ramuz Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (24 September 1878 – 23 May 1947) was a French-speaking Swiss writer. Biography He was born in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud and was educated at the University of Lausanne. He taught briefly in nearby Aubonne, and ...

and stars

Charles Vanel Charles-Marie Vanel (21 August 1892 – 15 April 1989) was a French actor and director. During his 76-year film career, which began in 1912, he appeared in more than 200 films and worked with many prominent directors, including Alfred Hitchcock ...

, Catherine Mouchet and Philippe Léotard. It was one of the In-Competition Films at the 1987

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

. The film was selected as the Swiss entry for the

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

at the

60th Academy Awards The 60th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on April 11, 1988, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PDT. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented ...

, but was not accepted as a nominee.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Plot

In a little village, lost at the bottom of a valley in the midst of mountains and deprived of sun for long months, an old man Anzerul (

), prophet and magician, announces the end of the world. According to his calculations the sun will not return to the village and the village will descend into an endless winter. The villagers give way, one after the other, to panic, piling up wood or giving themselves up to drink. Only Isabelle Antide ( Catherine Mouchet), holds up against the hysteria. She urges them not to give in to terror, and to struggle against a damaging

fatalism Fatalism is a family of related philosophical doctrines that stress the subjugation of all events or actions to fate or destiny, and is commonly associated with the consequent attitude of resignation in the face of future events which are tho ...

. On the 13 April, the day the sun returns to the village each year, she leads them above the cover of fog which hangs over their valley.

Cast

as ''Anzerul'' * Catherine Mouchet as ''Isabelle Antide'' * Philippe Léotard as ''Arlettaz'' *Raoul Billeray as ''Denis Revaz'' *

Claude Evrard Claude Evrard (29 July 1933 – 20 April 2020) was a French actor. Filmography Cinema *''La Foire aux cancres'' (1963) *''Circus Angel'' (1965) - L'homme volé *''Les ruses du diable (Neuf portraits d'une jeune fille)'' (1966) *''Voilà l'ordre'' ...

as ''Follonier'' *Fred Ulysse as ''Tissières'' *

Jacques Mathou Jacques Mathou is a French actor, best known for his appearance in ''Delicatessen''. Filmography * 1985 : '' Tranches de vie'' * 1986 : ''Betty Blue'', Bob * 1987 : ''L'été en pente douce'' * 1987 : '' Si le soleil ne revenait pas'' * 1989 : ' ...

as '' Cyprien Métrailler''

References

External links

*
Claude Goretta
at the
Film Directory
1987 films Films based on Swiss novels French drama films 1980s French-language films Swiss drama films Films set in the Alps 1980s French films {{1980s-France-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links