IN THE DISTANCE, 10min., France
Directed by Laëtitia Daché
"In the Distance" is a choreographic triptych presented as short films, offering a perspective on the notions of complementarity and duality, expressions of resilience in the face of challenges.

https://www.instagram.com/contradancecompany/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I have reflected deeply on the duality inherent in certain experiences and emotions that can emerge throughout life. This duality, which manifests itself in countless places and in a variety of forms, became a source of exploration for me. It served as a starting point for my reflections. The complexity and subtlety of the human experience, with its layers of contradiction and harmony, has always been something I've sought to convey. There is a richness in these tensions, a constant interplay between opposing forces, which I find both fascinating and challenging to express.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I think I started thinking about the piece in the summer of 2022, and the color grading of the film together with the final adjustments were completed in the summer of 2024, so two years.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Duality and complementarity.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

I guess it's the time. The editing takes a particularly long time, and I couldn't work on it full-time, so it stretched over several months.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It's so nice to be able to get feedback from the audience. I can't always be there when the piece is seen, so I don't get to experience how people react. And since it's going through international festivals digitally, there are no faces to the reactions it provokes. The feedback video allows me to see real people and their expressions related to their experience of the piece. I'm very grateful that they took the time to watch the piece and share their feedback.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I don't necessarily want to make films. I want to express, through movement, what touches us as human beings. During Covid, I experienced dance through video as a spectator, and I found that it brought something interesting: a sense of persistence or proximity, for example. I also felt the need to express myself despite the constraints we were facing at the time, and the video medium allowed us to overcome those challenges more easily than through theater and stage performance. That's when I created a first video with no resources during the lockdown. I imagine that this idea stayed with me afterwards. Overall, I don't think of IN THE DISTANCE as a film or a recording of a performance; it's a choreographic piece.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

I have absolutely no idea. I know which ones have left a mark on me, but they are not necessarily the ones I've seen the most times, surprisingly!

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

The audience feedback is very good; it would also be interesting to have feedback from juries and professionals.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Great! Everything is clear and smooth.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I love big salads (not very exciting)!

11. What is next for you? A new film?

A new piece for sure, but I can't say exactly when or in what form.