Les anges portent du blanc

Information is money. Mia, a struggling teenage drifter in a seashore resort town, happens upon a wealth of this. Late one night and alone at a hotel reception desk she witnesses a serious crime. Reporting the crime would highlight Mia's illegal worker status and cause big trouble for her, yet remaining silent is not a good option either. It is part of Mia's nature to help others, even when it means she takes the blame. When Mia makes up her mind to help the crime victims and perhaps help herself too by selling the information, a deeper danger emerges. It comes in the form of a car following Mia with headlights out in the night. Mia may be in over her head in the underworld of the town.

This enthralling and unique thriller is delightfully complex and deep. In a slow paced, methodical and character driven manner, the film takes you to unexpected places in the underworld of the town where corruption seems to surmount any obstacle. The film involves complicated characters who make interesting and unpredictable choices. It is refreshing that many of these characters are women. There are many wonderful dimensions to the film. I really enjoyed the soothing sounds of ocean waves, crickets and frogs at night. The ending is especially satisfying. Vivian Qu is the writer as well as the director. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.