French auteur Bruno Dumont, best known for uncompromising and austere dramas, proves with thecomedy Li’l Quinquin that he is capable of shifting gears without conceding his signature style. Thisabsurdist, metaphysical murder mystery opens with the discovery of human body parts stuffed inside acow – a literal bête humaine — on the outskirts of the English Channel in northern France. Thebumbling and mumbling Captain Van der Weyden (played by Bernard Pruvost) is assigned toinvestigate the crime, but he has to contend with a young prankster, the mischievous Quinquin (AlaneDelhaye), as he proceeds to investigate the case. Dubbed an “epic farce” by the New York FilmFestival, Li'l Quinquin has been compared to Twin Peaks and True Detective. But simply speaking, Li’lQuinquin is "a wonderfully weird and unexpectedly hilarious" (Scott Foundas, Variety) masterworkfrom one of the most important contemporary French directors.
