Beyond Hatred (2005)

a contemplative, almost poetic examination of the proper workings of justice, and an exemplary depiction of a ruined family rebuilt on the foundations of its own humanistic values.

Olivier Meyrou may keep his distance from his subjects, but staying out of their way doesn't mean losing sight of their troubles.

While the documentary is well intended, that of parents' willingness to forgive three punks for murdering their son, the direction is uncreative and dull.

It's unlikely to appeal to your mainstream moviegoer, but this French documentary achieves remarkable things with a depressing subject.

Meyrou’s suitably sombre film leaves you with a sense of enormous respect for a couple refusing to be consumed by hatred, prepared instead to offer their forgiveness.

This deeply moving account of a French family's response to a needless tragedy is all the more effective as it eschews the sensationalism of so much modern reportage.

The settings are mundane, but the exchanges are emotionally raw and so neatly convey both the drama and the grinding daily routine of having to cope with tragedy.

Exemplifies the finest French traditions of dignified rationalism in the pursuit of understanding – in both personal and judicial contexts.

Au-delà de la haine is perhaps best used as a case study in psychology schools, because it is too convoluted to really make much sense for the general public.