Out in the country, on a beautiful old farm not far from a village that has only one hotel, live Edouard, the patriarch, his son Philippe (who doesn't seem to fit on the farm), Philippe's austere wife, Anne, and their daughter Stephanie.

Their daily routine is suddenly interrupted by the enigmatic Pol, a singer who returns to the village after several years' absence. Inexorably attracted to the hotel where she is singing, Philippe again falls under her spell. He spends less and less time at the farm with his family. Tension rises.

  Edouard orders Philippe to behave like a responsible man. A fight breaks out and Edouard becomes bedridden. Anne maybe with child, but this fails to win back her husband. Obsessed by the desire for vengeance, she withdraws into herself in the daytime and sleepwalks at night. Conflicts between the members of the family reach a tragic climax but the arrival of a stork brings a turbulent but happy ending.

CLAIR OBSCUR (THE STORK) is a film without dialogue in the tradition of visual story telling of the silent cinema. The soundtrack includes five songs, exploring the message of the film in German, French, English, Italian and Spanish.

"..a feast of colour and detail..."

Ina Warren, The Gazette

"D'une originalité indéniable...un rêve éveillé, oscillant entre le monde innocent des enfants et celui, violent, des adultes...des images aussi émouvantes qu'étranges. Cet art est au service de la poésie et de la tendresse..." (Undeniably original...a daydream wavering between the innocent world of children and the violent one of adults...images as moving as they are strange: art to the service of poetry and compassion...)

Yves Lafontaine, 24 Images

"...the magical quality of film is well-served...a lyrical piece...impressions are felt, images linger, moods are drawn...colours are lush..."

Toby Zeldin, Cinema Canada

"Un conte fantastique pour adultes et amateurs d'art lyrique...audacieux!" (A fairy tale for adults and classical singing...audacious!)

Francine Grimaldi, La Presse

STARRING:
BOBO VIAN, PAUL BABIAK,SUSAN EYTON-JONES with JACK SPINNER,
ATTILA BERTALAN, BARBARA ZSIGOVICS, WILLIAM KOSARAS

SCREENPLAY:
BASHAR SHBIB and  MARYSE WILDER

MUSIC:
FRANCOIS GIROUX

D.O.P.:
STEPHEN REIZES

CAMERA:
MICHEL LAMOTHE

SOUND:
GLEN HODGINNS

CHIEF EDITOR:
ALBERT KISH

ART DIRECTORS:
CLAIRE NADON and CATHERINE GAY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:
BASHAR SHBIB, HELENE VERRIER

PRODUCER:
HELENE VERRIER

DIRECTOR:
BASHAR SHBIB

This film was made possible through the financial participation of:

TELEFILM CANADA
and
LA SOCIETE GENERALE
DU CINEMA DU QUEBEC