“Ellipse” By Félixe

The short film IN MEDIAS RUSH is an experimental cinematic journey into the depths of a manic mind. A poetic retro-sci-fi narrative unfolded in a string of unsettling tableaus that encapsulates the male protagonist’s ambiguous feelings about his birthday. While balancing between realities in his silent struggle with severe mental illness, we plunge into the film at a neatly orchestrated birthday party. The protagonist is accompanied by his girlfriend, and they are drinking cocoa on the couch in their mutual home. The setting breathes pure perfection, but through the voice over we sense that another reality is soon to be revealed. With one foot on the accelerator, he is heading towards the edge. The thematic focal point of IN MEDIAS RUSH is mental health problems among young adults, and the social/personal consequences related to the existing taboo on the subject. The film wishes to formulate an honest cinematic space in which words, sound, and image artistically interprets and articulates some of the perspectives related to especially bipolar, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. IN MEDIAS RUSH was nominated in the category 'Best Danish Short Film' at Copenhagen Short Film Festival in 2020. Original title: IN MEDIAS RÆS Directed by: Esben Persson -------------------- DK: IN MEDIAS RÆS IN MEDIAS RÆS er en filmisk rejse ind i dybderne af et manisk sind. En ung mand fejrer sin fødselsdag, mens hans tanker tordner afsted. Med en uvillig fod på speederen har han kurs mod kanten. FR: IN MEDIA RES IN MEDIA RES est un voyage dans les profondeurs d’un esprit maniaque. Un jeune homme fête son anniversaire tandis que ses pensées se multiplient. Malgré lui, il se dirige vers un point de non-retour. -------------------- Cast: Peter Alexander Bach & Amanda Overby Drew Director // Script writer // Set designer // Costume designer // Editor // Speaker: Esben Persson Photographer // Editor: Lasse Mølsted Producer: Latifa Lykke Ben Mabrouk Assistant producer: Cecilie Creutsberg Music composer: Martin Bejder Sound designer: Mads Hye Chief Lighting Technician: Rasmus Bruun Liboriussen VFX: Jonas Fonnesbæk Lodahl Colorist: Kristopher Paterson Graphic designer: Jakob Toft Kristensen -------------------- Shot on RED Monstro 8K with Lomo Squarefront Anamorphics.

Synopsis

After a teenager confesses her love to her legal guardian, the tenderness they once shared quickly turns bitter.

Directors statement

What struck me most about Félixe’s lyrical prowess on “Ellipse” was the uncanny depth with which she deconstructs a toxic relationship (one of friendship, one of love; of both) where two people wrestle with the power dynamics of the dominant and the dominated.  

Although the roles are firmly established in the opening scene, the line blurs as the song progresses. Felixe’s graceful exploration of this evolution warranted a symbolically-driven imagery and ideological montage. 

The story of Emma confessing her love to Sandrine, her legal guardian, is ultimately rooted in a sad truth: that of LGBTQ+ teens seeking to flee their conservative small hometowns for the sake of finding inclusivity in “the big city”. 

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Sandrine: older, wiser and traditionally-minded, rejects Emma’s love even if her feelings are reciprocal. Instead, Sandrine opts to hide behind a facade, which Emma sees as the betrayal of their unspoken love and of one’s own integrity. The gesture sends Emma on a journey to reclaim her identity and find a community that she could proudly call home.

The non-linear storytelling is steered by the emotions Emma associates to her memories: some of beauty, some of pain, all out of order and guided by heart rather than logic.Through symbolic imagery (Emma digging a grave to bury a handheld mirror and the artist, Félixe, being buried alive with a plastic bag covering her face), Emma’s memories take on a new role: that of shepherding her quest of unburdening. 

While the mirror visually represents Emma’s past, it’s the recurrence of one sound: the shovel hitting the dirt, that gives Emma the strength to push onwards and ultimately find her voice.

Credits

A Les Orphelins Production
Directed by Alexandre Richard
Music Written and Performed by Félixe

 Starring: Romy Bouchard, Marie-Hélène Gosselin

 Cinematographer: Graham GS
Producers: Graham GS, Alexe Laroche
Screenwriter: Alexandre Richard

 Art Directors: Veronique Duplain, Antoine Parle
Make-Up Artist: Janie Gagnon
1st AC: Jonathan Auger
1st AD: Alexe Laroche
Key Grip: Yvain Jeanmart
Sound Recording: Marc-Antoine Sauriol
Production Assistant: David Gogan
Extras: Genevieve Goupil, Maxime St-Louis, David Gogan, Alexandre Richard

 Editor: Alexandre Richard
Sound Design & Mix: Kristopher Laflamme
Colorist: Martin Gaumond (OUTPOST)
English Translation: Kiril Shmidov

Special Thanks:
Ville Lac-Du-Cerf, Marché Kiamika, Marie-Jeanne Goujeon, Kiril Shmidov, Richard Aubé, India Katherine Jones, Guillaume Claveau, Marc-André Lavoie DJ Matrundola, Cinepool, MTL Grande Camera