Ma Jeanne D'Arc

French-Canadian director Dany Chiasson goes in search - on horseback - of her own interpretation of heroine Joan of Arc, the 15th-century peasant's daughter who commanded the French army against the English. Chiasson wants to get to know who Joan was before she performed her heroic deeds. To do this, she completes the same 11-day journey taken by Joan of Arc in 1429 through enemy territory (parts of France were occupied by the English) to convince Charles VII to be crowned rightful king of France. The journey starts in the village of Joan of Arc's birth, Domremy-la-Pucelle, and ends in Chinon. On the way, Chiasson talks to local people about the myth of the pious young woman who followed her visions at the age of 17, only to be burned at the stake two years later. The story of Joan of Arc is outlined in short scenes as the filmmaker's quest gradually unfolds. "The slow pace of the journey makes it mentally tough", the filmmaker reveals. As the journey progresses, Chiasson uncovers the more mundane truth that underlies Joan's myth, and that animates her own mission. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)