The Sea Wall
6.1
The film centers on a young French widow and her two adolescent children as they attempt to carve out a meager life for themselves by farming rice fields alongside the ocean in French Indo-China in the 1930s. Their efforts are hampered each year by the presence of the sea, which invariably floods the fields with saltwater and wipes out the crops. In desperation, the mother realizes that their only hope lies in the construction of a sea wall to prevent continued flooding, but the mother must cut a swath through the local bureaucracy in an almost Sisyphean attempt to make this happen. Meanwhile, her obstinate daughter, Suzanne, draws the romantic obsessions of a well-to-do Chinese gentleman, Monsieur Jo. Though he could easily provide a way out, the possibility of a romantic relationship between Jo and Suzanne could just as easily fall prey to local racial prejudices that would damage or ruin the lives of both.
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Not streaming anywhere
Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.
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Cast
29 people
Gaspard Ulliel
Joseph
Known for
Hannibal Rising
It's Only the End of the World
Isabelle Huppert
Madame Dufresne, la mère
Known for
Elle
The Piano Teacher
Stéphane Rideau
Agosti
Known for
Wild Reeds
Come Undone
Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey
Suzanne
Known for
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Vincent Grass
Le père Bart
Known for
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Napoleon
Randal Douc
Monsieur Jo
Also in
Le chemin
Lucy Harrison
Carmen
Known for
San Antonio
Duong Vanthon
Le caporal
Also in
Holy Lola
Doeun Thenn Nan
M. Khing
No other roles listed
Chorn Solyda
Le père Sok
Known for
Rescue Dawn
Ingrid Mareski
La femme de Pierre
Also in
L'Amour aller-retour
Chevallier et Laspalès - Déviation obligatoire
Louis Arsac
Pierre
No other roles listed
Rithy Panh Director · Michel Fessler Writer Marguerite Duras Author
First release September 9, 2008 · Produced in Cambodia, France, Belgium, Vietnam · Languages English, French
Production
Catherine Dussart Productions
Production
Studio 37
Production
France 2 Cinéma
Production
SCOPE Pictures
Production
Bophana Production
Production
Cambodia · France · Belgium · Vietnam
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Un barrage contre le Pacifique
Original language
French
Spoken on screen
English · French
Release dates
Canada · September 9, 2008
Premiere · Toronto International Film Festival
France · January 7, 2009
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
France
August 20, 2009 · Physical
November 16, 2026 · TV · TV5 Monde
Germany
October 7, 2020 · TV · arte
Italy
October 24, 2008 · Premiere · Rome Film Festival
More from Rithy Panh
Other films they directed, best known first.
Some details come from TheTVDB.