- THE FESTIVAL -
SEQUENCE 1 – Int. Night.
The action takes place in the amphitheater 500 of the Sorbonne Nouvelle. The bleachers are packed. The students rejoice at the opening of the second evening of the Objectif Censier festival. The director of the university DANIEL MOUCHARD and the director of the UFR Arts and Media KIRA KITSOPANIDOU open the evening with a speech warning about the danger to culture. Then came the presentation of the office, ending with that of the jury composed of RAPHAËL JOUZEAU, director of animated short films, BELLA KIM, actress and model, SUEWELLYNE GROULIER, editor and director, ANGÈLE ROPERO, production manager, and FRÉDÉRIC MAURIN, lecturer in theater studies.
VOICE-OVER
Dear reader, welcome to this article that will recount the highlights of this second evening of the Objectif Censier festival! The festival opens its doors for an eighteenth edition and one thing is certain: the students of Sorbonne-Nouvelle Paris 3 are present: a large part of the L3 students in the Cinema-Audiovisual program participated in the creation of 27 short films, of which 13 were shown tonight. The diversity of styles, genres, and subjects addressed creates a vibrant mosaic of colors. Here are a few words about our favorites and the award-winning films of this evening.
- THE FILMS -
SEQUENCE 2 – THE PHOTOGRAPHER
A woman develops film photos in a development studio. She hangs her photos on the drying line.
VOICE-OVER
Directed by Sofia Ehrlacher and Jazzya Wespi, The Photographer cuts through the universe that surrounds us to subtract the images that are offered to us. The ingenious shots revisit our way of seeing the world: the camera avoids the frontal relationship with the subject preferring its photo, its reflection in the mirror or its silhouette in the frame of a window. We do not follow only a photographer: we follow her gaze which becomes our own. For its plurality of perceptions, The Photographer received the UFR Art and Media Award.
SEQUENCE 3 – TRULY HONEST: HIS STRANGE ILLNESS PREVENTS HIM FROM LIVING
A young man is interviewed about his strange illness: his body rejects significant amounts of bodily fluids, a phenomenon heightened by the phases of the moon.
VOICE-OVER
This film is the result of the fusion of several minds: Claudia Mari, Eleanor Murphy, EsanahMytnik, Lilou Romans and Julien Raclot. One thing is certain, this comedy fulfills its objective: the theater was roaring with laughter at the misadventures of the main character. Cyprien Huard was perfect in the lead role, making his character both funny and endearing, which earned him the award for acting.
SEQUENCE 4 – APHONIA
A woman appears in the center of the frame. Hands place a white band over her mouth, preventing her from speaking. The young woman frantically annotates what seems to be a collection of poems. She remains silent. Men comment on her condition in front of her: they say she is losing her mind.
VOICE-OVER
Aphonia was once again the collaboration of a group of artists, composed of Sophia Hernandez Delgado, Alexandre Jaeck, Sophia Kostrikis, Tess Le Cosquer, Annette Godéreaux. The work is less about a story and more about a sensation: that of being perpetually reduced to silence. The film stood out for the beauty of its shots. We can mention the close-up of the young woman lying on the floor, a snake sliding through her hair, thus alluding to Medusa, symbol of the betrayed woman, but also the one where the character's face gradually sinks into the dark waters of the flowers coming out of her mouth.
SEQUENCE 5 – H.O.R.U.S
Gunshots are heard. A group of armed youths is hiding in a snowy forest. They seek refuge in a cave. They are accompanied by a small robot. An army controlled by robots is on their trail to stop their rebellion.
VOICE-OVER
Created by Zélie Marie, Martin Darque, and Axel Blanche, H.O.R.U.S successfully immerses us in a dystopian future thanks to the costumes and sets, particularly well executed. The mini robot accompanying them is particularly impressive: its mobility, its speed, and its design make it look like it comes straight from the future. A small reservation about the film: the sound mixing did not allow the voices to be heard enough. The stakes of the characters were therefore difficult to decipher.
SEQUENCE 6 – BINARY STARS
Split screen. The left side of the shot immerses us in a disturbing universe that could be situated between Peaky Blinders and Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï. On the right, fairies, princesses, pirates, and other fantastical beings coexist in a magical world.
VOICE-OVER
This film by Karim Roussel impressed with its ingenious concept and perfect execution. Two worlds, two characters, one connection. Two shots were particularly striking: the first was the one where the two characters, a young man in a three-piece suit and a young fairy, turned towards the viewer simultaneously, noticing that they were both being followed. The exact symmetry of their movements, the values of the shots, and their expressions reveal two completely different beings connected by the magic of cinema. During the ensuing chase, the characters run until they collide with each other. This shot was the second that caught our attention.
The two beings are on a bridge, they look at each other. They seem to be in the same space-time, the setting being continuous, yet a black vertical line and the different colorimetries of the shots separate them. Passersby cross the line and transform from one universe to another according to the codes of these universes: dark period costumes entering from the left, and colorful disguises as they enter the fairy world. The two beings gaze at each other: the story of a whole life seems to unfold in their eyes. Étoiles Binaires made perfect use of certain cinematic parameters to create an intense connection between two beings belonging to opposite universes. This ingenuity was noted by both the audience and the juries, respectfully awarding the short film the audience prize on Friday and the prize for direction.
SEQUENCE 7 - TNT
A family tries to watch the elections. However, the television keeps glitching, revealing news images, unfiltered, showing the war, the explosions, and the misery like that of the bombings in Gaza.
VOICE-OVER
Once again, this short film directed by Sharif Nefra, Ruben Pujol, and Samaëlle Joumier stands out for the originality of its concept. The majority of the film relies on a fixed shot of a television. The family watching it exists through the sound: we can also easily discern the words of the mother when she announces: "voting is a right, not a duty." This statement is quickly contradicted when images of the most horrific follow, revealing with a necessary brutality the current state of our world. Thanks to the sound work, TNT won the sound award.