How does one update a greek tragedy written in 441BC? This was the task taken on by Canadian director, Sophie Deraspe. Inspired by the 2008 death of Fredy Villanueva in Montreal, Deraspe was awestruck by the character of Antigone. In an interview with Seventh Row, she stated the following: “I was struck by her sense of dignity, her intelligence. She goes against the law, but for something that she really believes is the right thing to do. She stays true to herself. Even if it’s a tragedy, it was, to me, very uplifting.” With Nahéma Ricci’s outstanding performance and Deraspe writing and direction, “Antigone” does indeed have a very uplifting element to it, demonstrating the power of love and duty to one’s own family. Despite being based on the ancient play, it is very much a film that feels very contemporary and completely necessary for the on-going issues of migration, police brutality and racism that plagues our western world. Continue reading Review: Antigone