Filmfest DC Series: The Hedgehog (Le Hérisson)

For 36 years, the Washington, DC International Film Festival has brought us the best of world cinema, featuring many new and exciting films from around the globe. Come discover or re-discover the French hits shown at the festival through this delightful series curated by the Filmfest DC staff.

An intellectual concierge (who reads Tolstoy to her cat), a precocious 11-year-old (who documents her environment with her father’s Super-8 camera) and a refined Japanese gentleman are the strange trio at the heart of this sometimes uplifting, sometimes cynical film based on Muriel Barbery’s bestselling novel. Making audiences feel clever while also delivering an oldfashioned fairytale of unexpected love (and even a dose of social critique), Mona Achache’s helming debut unashamedly has it all ways. The result is a basically touching, engaging parable about the importance of unconventionality. Performances are strong, with Josiane Balasko in particular suggesting a wealth of simmering emotion beneath her impassive features. — Karlovy Vary International Film Festival