Whistler Film Festival - The Beep Test
Wojtek, a new student at school, is the perfect prey for Thomas and Philippe, two students in search of entertainment. Not finding the words in front of his assailants, Wojtek will go back to his physical education course to express the substance of his thoughts.
Interview with Writer/Director Maxime Aubert
Watch The Beep Test on ShortFilms.Watch
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Originally, I was more interested into portraying the Beep Test than addressing Intimidation itself. That test that most of Quebec teenagers has experienced at some point in school, never fails to bring its participants out of their comfort zone.
It has this laboratory quality to it, as it feels like an experiment a scientist would conduct on rats to quantify their physical condition. There is also this social dimension to the test, where everyone thrives at performing in front of each other, ultimately avoiding being among those who quit very early during the test. For this reason, I thought this test was the perfect context to write a story dealing with revenge, and it was very tempting to have as a protagonist an underdog, a very inhibited student whom nobody would expect could shine in such a physical activity.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
First of all, I believe intimidation is a very important subject that we never address too much, as it will never cease to exist in our schools. I like to believe that The Beep Test is a film in which the viewer follows the protagonist in an immersive fashion, almost completely from his own point of view. I opted for long takes and floating camera movements in order to sustain the continuum of real time as much as possible. It is not a satisfying film with well-knitted intrigue and ending, but it’s a film in which you empathize with the main character and experience intimidation with him as the story unfolds.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
In school, I’ve never been the victim of much intimidation, and I’ve always found my way within a group, which, with hindsight, might have been expressing my need to get approval from others. I wanted to create a different kind of student, one that stands out in every way possible way, making him at the same time an obvious target for bullies. The main character of the film might be inhibited, solitary, and not exactly the coolest kid on the block, but he has a very strong personality, and despite everything that happens, shows a lot of character. That was important for me to depict him as a very resilient person, who can prove to everybody, including himself, that he isn’t that much of a victim.
The film is also personal in the sense that the protagonist answers back to his assailants, but in a very indirect and unpredictable way. I like to disarm people trying to impose their superiority upon others by using a wild card they don’t see coming. The intimidators usually want to draw their victims onto their own grounds where they feel safe and empowered, but, by bringing them somewhere else, they tend to lose that vantage point.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The scriptwriting has been a very long process. The first version of the script was achieved when I was still at film school, which was in 2012. Then, over the course of the next 4 years, I kept trying on a part-time basis to get funds to produce it. I could have shot it by my own means, but I didn’t want to put myself in a precarious financial position as I did back at University for a film I shot. I really wanted to do things right, and the exercise of applying to get funds is a very important learning experience, and being denied is also part of the process.
The scenario evolved quite a bit over these years. I started writing the project with a much more humorous approach, then brought the script into a much more dramatic state, to finally bring it back a little in the spectrum to find a balance. Intimidation must be treated seriously, but I didn’t want to fall into the trap of teaching a lesson about moral justice. Teenagers are clumsy, sometimes funny, sometimes not, they can be mean, they can be very nice, but at the end of the day, it’s all part of growing up and learning about ourselves. The bullies aren’t necessarily bad kids, however they’ve got to learn where their freedom ends and where other’s start.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Most of the feedback I’ve received so far comes from the performances in the film, and I certainly understand why. I’ve been lucky enough to cast amazing actors for my three main characters. They are three young gifted actors that we’ll see more and more on the big screen, at least in the Quebec landscape. They’ve been very generous, and they’ve all added their own take on the characters, which undeniably make them very authentic and natural.
Another feedback comes from the camera department. Jean-Sébastien Caron, the steadicam operator, has definitely enhanced the narrative. The camera is basically omniscient, but almost acts as some sort of a secondary character with a life of its own. The camera is one big factor in the resulting proximity the viewer has with the protagonist.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
One of the most challenging questions came from a group of teenagers who came to watch the movie in a festival in Berlin. One of them asked me what was the meaning behind the film. I didn’t want to say there were none, but I tried to explain that life doesn’t always unfold perfectly, things happen, not always exactly as we’ve planned, and we grow out of them even though these moments aren’t necessarily obvious victories. In a way, I wanted to say that the most important thing to do when facing intimidation, is to act, not matter what, no matter how. During the Q&A session, they addressed many aspects of the film I wouldn’t have thought they would understand, and they gave very insightful comments on the different aspects of the mise-en-scène.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I definitely want to convince people to watch the film, and maybe grasps more precisely what I intended to achieve with it.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would like buyers and film festival directors to understand the true motives of the film, and that kids as much as adults needs to be exposed to the issue of bullying in our schools.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Ultimately, I want to raise awareness among the viewers of the film. I also want people to reflect in their own terms about the film, since I believe the film doesn’t clearly tell anyone how to interpret the story. I wanted to make the viewer laugh at some extent, but also to make them feel bad about the main character, which are both emotions that can occur when one’s witnessing bullying. The witnesses are always the main public of the bullies.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Did the main character win anything? If he did, what exactly did he win?
Interview: November 2017
_______________________________________________________________________________
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
_______________________________________________________________________________
The Beep Test
Wojtek, a new student at school, is the perfect prey for Thomas and Philippe, two students in search of entertainment. Not finding the words in front of his assailants, Wojtek will go back to his physical education course to express the substance of his thoughts.
Length: 14’46''
Director: Maxime Aubert
Producer: Audrey D.Laroche
Writer: Maxime Aubert
About the writer, director and producer:
Writer and Director
Maxime Aubert is a Montreal-based director and editor working in film, advertising, and on video projects of different natures. La course navette is his first short film outside the academic rank.
Producer
Audrey is a Montreal-based producer and executive producer. In the past, she worked as a production assistant for a few years, then began working in 2010 as a third Assistant director on American and Canadian feature films, as well as on TV series. Since then, she has produced with many Montreal production companies, until she starts her own in early 2017.
Key cast:
Wojtek: Théodore Pellerin
Thomas: Antoine L’Écuyer
Philippe: Antoine Desrochers
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
We’re looking for buyers outside of Canada, Film festival directors, and journalists to speak about the film.
Social media handles: N/A
Facebook: @lacoursenavette
Funders: CALQ
Made in association with: N/A
Where will the film screen in the next month?
December 2nd, 4h30 PM at Whistler Film Festival