FILM
Antoine Laurens
INSHORT Film Festival 2018
‘ALONE’
15' | Fiction | France | 2018 | Debut Filmmaker | Tickets
Alone has a misshapen face, he has always lived alone on a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, his only companion is his imagination, which he stimulates with the words of an old dictionary.
Hi Antoine As this is your debut short film are there nerves ahead of the screening?
Not really! I'm just happy that ALONE is now traveling by himself.
It is very difficult to put yourself in the place of a spectator who sees the film for the first time when you know all the secrets. But it's always great to have returned after a screening.
InShort Film Festival aims to promote global discussion, how important is it for you as a filmmaker to be part of this type of film festival?
It's a great chance! To be selected in inShort Film is a real award of our work.
Tell me a little bit about ALONE, how did the film come about?
ALONE is an adaptation of a graphic novel by Chabouté.
It emerges in his work a humanity, a poetry, a humor, a mystery which gave me all of the fascinated continuations. This comic book has me so much like, that at the least opportunity I offered it. I have to confess to me that this story never left me and that I dreamed of making ALONE a short movie.
So I took my courage in both hands and I "landed" on the Ile d'Oleron to meet Christophe Chabouté without knowing where he lived precisely. Not knowing his address. I wandered from village to village until a fisherman showed me his house. Convinced that man having created ALONE could not be bad, I did not hesitate a moment to ring at his door. And I am not disappointed. In our exchange, he confirmed my desire to put in the image this story, asserting that my perception of his message was the right one. His support and trust are always very precious to me.
What was the inspiration behind your screenplay?
Edward Scissorhands (Tim Burton)
My Left Foot (Jim Sheridan)
Wall E (Andrew Stanton)
Phantom of the Paradise (Brian de Palma)
What was the most challenging part of making this film?
ALONE is my first movie as a director. But it’s also my first movie as a producer.
I wasn't planning like this, but none of my original producers found any money from state organization or Tv channel. I was desperate, a friend told me "do it" even if it is with an iPhone! So I started production alone and everything went very fast, we found a set, organized a crowdfunding. I’ve been working on a feature film as a camera assistant for more than 10 years so this experience helps me a lot to know exactly what is important for a film crew.
During the shooting, it was quite challenging because we did have just 5 days. Everything has to be prepared before, and almost ready to shot. I didn’t want to do a short movie too long and contemplative, it was necessary to pass ALONE's solitude otherwise than by long shots.
"A virgin spirit, without the slightest a priori, he invented his attitudes, his ethics, his morals."
I didn’t want to do a short movie too long and contemplative, it was necessary to pass ALONE's solitude otherwise than by long shots.
I wanted the deformed face of ALONE to make it monstrous and impressive to the viewer. But that very quickly the spectator sees in his eyes a flame of intelligence and sweetness, which makes him expressive and endearing.
How would you describe Alone?
Alone has an immense need to communicate, and the means he uses to do so attest to a keen intelligence, a beautiful imagination and a real sense of humor. A virgin spirit, without the slightest a priori, he invented his attitudes, his ethics, his morals.
He has a quickness of mind, an intelligence of situations, a look at himself and his world, a refreshing vivacity. Behind its apparent despair, there is a force and an irrepressible will to open its horizon. He gropes, certainly, but it is in his hesitations that he will find the way to freedom.
And finally, what do you hope people will take away from this film?
“Imagination is more important than knowledge”.