La Fille de l'air (1992)
Directed by Maroun Bagdadi

Film Review

The last feature from acclaimed Lebanese director Maroun Bagdadi is this pacy action thriller which is distinguished by the energy and stark realism of his previous films. La Fille de l'air is however far more than a run-of-the-mill action film.  It retells the incredible true story of a woman who was driven by love to rescue her husband from prison.  That woman was Nadine Vaujour, who became a national hero in France when news of her daring adventure hit the newstands in May 1986.  In this film, Vaujour's personal drama is convincingly enacted by Béatrice Dalle, an actress renowned for her moody portrayals in off-kilter auteur films such as Jean-Jacques Beineix's 37°2 le matin (1986) and Claire Denis's Trouble Every Day (2001).

Although it is not quite Bagdadi's best film - that honour must surely belong to his intense political drama Hors la vie - La Fille de l'air is a gripping and well crafted piece of cinema that impresses both with its true-to-life performances and its masterful mise-en-scène. Tragically, it was to be Bagdadi's final film - the director was killed the year after its release when he fell to his death in a lift shaft, cutting short the career of a hugely creative filmmaker.

Film Synopsis

Brigitte lives with her boyfriend, Daniel, who is on the run having escaped from prison for a series of armed robbery offences.  Brigitte is a few months' from giving birth when the couple's home is raided by the police.  At the time, Daniel is involved in a violent robbery which goes wrong - a policeman is killed and he is arrested.  Both Daniel and Brigitte end up in prison, although Brigitte's sentence is reduced to a few months.  Daniel however must remain in prison for 18 years.  Realising that this will destroy her husband, Brigitte resolves to rescue him in a daring prison escape involving a helicopter...