Fear and Trembling is a French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 film

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 based on the novel of the same name by Amélie Nothomb

Amélie Nothomb

Amélie Nothomb is a Belgian writer who writes in French.- Biography :Amélie Nothomb was born in Kobe, Japan to Belgian diplomats. She lived there until she was five years old, and then subsequently lived in China, New York, Bangladesh, Burma, Coventry and Laos...

.

Synopsis

Amélie, a young Belgian woman (played by Sylvie Testud

Sylvie Testud

Sylvie Testud is a French actress, writer and director. Her film career began in 1991. She was later highly acclaimed, and has twice won César Awards.-Biography:...

), having spent her childhood in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, decides to return to live there and tries to integrate in the Japanese society.

The title, "Fear and Trembling", is said in the film to be the way Japanese must behave when addressing the Emperor. For Westerners, it calls to mind a line from Philippians 2:12, "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.", which could also describe Amélie's posture during her year at Yumimoto.

Awards and nominations

• César Awards (France)
  • Won: Best Actress – Leading Role
    César Award for Best Actress
    List of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Actress .-Winners and nominees:...
    
     (Sylvie Testud)
  • Nominated: Best Writing
    César Award for Best Writing
    This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Writing .-1975–1979:*1975: Bertrand Tavernier, Jean Aurenche: Que la fête commence...
    
     (Alain Corneau)

• Karlovy Vary Film Festival
  Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
  The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary , Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival gained worldwide recognition over the past years and has become one of Europe's major film events....
  
  (Czech Republic)
  • Won: Best Actress – Leading Role (Sylvie Testud; tied with Giovanna Mezzogiorno
    Giovanna Mezzogiorno
    Giovanna Mezzogiorno is an Italian theatre and film actress.Giovanna Mezzogiorno was born in Rome, November 9, 1974, daughter of actors Vittorio Mezzogiorno and Cecilia Sacchi. She grew up watching her parents on set, conscious about acting. At first she wanted to become a ballerina and she...
    
     for Facing Windows (La finestra di fronte))
  • Won: Special Mention (Alain Corneau)
  • Nominated: Crystal Globe
    Crystal Globe
    Crystal Globe is the main award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, first given in the city of Karlovy Vary of the Czech Republic, in 1948.In the international competition of films, IFFKV presents the following awards:...
    
    (Alain Corneau)