Write On: 'Anatomy of a Fall' Writer/Director Justine Triet

“Starting to write a project like this, we always begin with a
set of very strong personal desires,” says Anatomy of a Fall
writer/director Justine Triet, adding, “I’m quite reticent of
scripts that are too clever or that clearly have the intension of
disseminating things where information or the person
disseminating information has the upper hand over my ability to
navigate the narrative.”


The new film Anatomy of a Fall won the Palme d’Or at the recent
Cannes Film Festival and could be called Anatomy of a Marriage –
at least one that ends in a mysterious tragedy. Set in a remote
village in the French Alps – perhaps reminiscent of the hotel in
The Shining, frustrated writer Samuel (Samuel Theis), is found
dead in the snow beneath his family’s chalet and his wife Sandra
(Sandra Hüller), becomes the number one suspect in his suspicious
death. In this shocking family drama that moves into a chaotic
courtroom, the verdict comes down to the couple’s 11-year-old
blind son’s gut-wrenching testimony.


Directed by Justine Triet from a script written by Triet and her
own life-partner Arthur Harari, Triet talks about writing the
film from an emotional place and not relying on structure or
over-used devices like flashbacks to create a deeper sense of
mystery.


This film is the best lesson on how to tell a character-driven
murder mystery – while keeping the audience guessing – I’ve seen
in a long time! Listen to the podcast to go deeper into how Triet
crafted the story.