Silent Rebellion

Silent Rebellion
FrenchÀ bras-le-corps
Directed byMarie-Elsa Sgualdo
Written by
  • Nadine Lamari
  • Marie-Elsa Sgualdo
Produced by
  • Fabrice Preel-Cleach
  • Emmanuelle Latourrette
Starring
CinematographyBenoît Dervaux
Edited byKarine Sudan
Music byNicolas Rabaeus
Production
companies
  • Box Productions
  • Hélicotronc
  • Offshore
Release date
  • 1 September 2025 (2025-09-01) (Venice)
Running time
96 minutes
Countries
  • Switzerland
  • France
  • Belgium
LanguageFrench

Silent Rebellion (French: À bras-le-corps, lit.'head-on') is a 2025 historical drama film co-written and directed by Marie-Elsa Sgualdo, in her feature film debut.

A co-production between Switzerland, France and Belgium, the film had its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

Plot

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Box Productions, with Radio Télévision Suisse, Hélicotronc and Offshore serving as co-producers.[1]

It was mostly shot in Romainmôtier, in the Canton of Vaud; other locations include Goumoëns and Colombier, Neuchâtel.[2]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival, in the Venice Spotlight sidebar.[1] It was later screened in numerous festivals, including the 22nd Seville European Film Festival, the 37th Palm Springs International Film Festival, the 46th Cairo International Film Festival and the 36th Stockholm International Film Festival.[3]

Reception

Cineuropa's film critic Fabien Lemercier lauded the film, noting how "a narrative finesse goes hand in hand with simple but highly sensitive staging".[1] Nikki Baughan from Screen International also praised it, emphasising Lila Gueneau's "restrained, emotionally intelligent performance" and "undeniably stunning" Swiss settings.[4] Max Borg from The Film Verdict described it as "a steadily paced journey that is sometimes cinematically conventional but always filled with sincerity and passion, primarily through the strong acting ensemble".[5]

The film received seven nominations at the 2026 Swiss Film Awards, including for best film and best screenplay.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lemercier, Fabien (2 September 2025). "Review: Silent Rebellion". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  2. ^ Mouquin, Héloïse (May 2024). "Le vallon du Nozon sous les projecteurs" (PDF). Omnibus. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  3. ^ "À bras-le-corps". SwissFilms. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  4. ^ Baughan, Nikki (3 September 2025). "'Silent Rebellion' review: A young woman learns to find her voice in 1940s rural Switzerland". Screen International. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  5. ^ Borg, Max (2 September 2025). "Silent Rebellion". The Film Verdict. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  6. ^ Projer, Leonie (28 January 2026). "Prix du cinéma suisse 2026 : «À bras-le-corps» et «Bagger Drama» en tête des nominations". 20 minutes (in French). Retrieved 27 February 2026.