The Survival of Kindness

"It is an elegant reverie about the violence and the stoicism beneath the surface of ordinary life."

"De Heer and his remarkable collaborators illustrate that an art film can both challenge and energise..."

"The film doesn’t give you much to go on.... Nevertheless, we care, and the film gets under our defences and builds to a visceral and intriguing whole."

"An epic adventure in the guise of an arthouse flick, The Survival of Kindness makes up in visual power and moral clarity what it lacks in subtext."

"The film is likely to be a theatrical curio rather than a breakout success."

"It is an allegory so direct as to be obvious, told in a style so spartan as to be opaque."

"A powerful, deeply affecting rumination on race and class."

"Despite its many interludes of oneiric transport... it’s ultimately hard work, and unlikely to land among de Heer’s most widely seen films."

"This is a remarkable return for de Heer, as The Survival of Kindness lingers with you long after the credits roll..."