ENCONTRO, 116min., France
Directed by François Manceaux
Seven years after the death of his wife, Alain, a belgium director, longs to meet the actress of his unfinished film, with whom he shared a passion in Lisbon. Once in place, discovers that she had disappeared. A unknown woman offers him help for the investigation. It beggins for him a hipnotic journey in Cabo Verde, obsessed by those images from his past in opposition to the present in Lisbon, where it surfaces the duality between those two women.

https://paquitaromsonproduction.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
What pushed me was a form of necessity that I had in mind for many years and which takes up a set of elements of self-fiction.

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

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

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

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I really enjoyed the comments and the attention these viewers gave to the film. In particular the acquittal and the finesse of their perception of the emotions they took away from the film compared to their own emotional sensitivity. I was very happy that this film reached a young audience. I thank them very much for their testimonies.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Already 14 years old. I made films in Super 8 when I started.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
L'avventura of M. Antonioni

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Continue to amplify your festival which I appreciate very much. Do not hesitate to talk about it at other festivals. I now hope to be able to find a American distributor.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Good experience through FilmFreeway. Your festival quickly came back to send me the link of the comments, the laurels... A big thank you to all of you for your precious testimonies which go straight to my heart.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Orange duck and lemon pie.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
This first fiction film is, I hope, the first of a trilogy.