Agony
In search of a 15 days lock-in, a director finds himself captive of a trawler on the high seas, where his distress intertwines with the fate of what he films. A sensory experience between expectation and panic, this first short film has become the expiatory film of a traumatized filmmaker.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Arnaud Beaudoux
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
In the beginning, I left on a trawler to shoot a film on micro-societies wondering why humans were looking to lock themselves up for weeks in the open sea. But nothing went as planned and I suffered to make this film. The shipowner placed me on this boat without any real agreement from the crew. So they weren't thrilled with my presence!
I was abused verbally and physically. As the experience was too intense and traumatic for me, when I came back I left my shooting material in dormancy for a year and a half. Then, thanks to psychological support, I started the post-production process. I did that film to heal as the process helped me a lot with my therapy.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Imagine you are somewhere, locked in a dark place where you feel unwelcome. That does not often happen…
With this film in the cinema, I give you the opportunity for a few minutes to live in discomfort and to live part of the intense experience that I had: to dive through these fish and discover an enigmatic place.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Agony is first a film of sensations. From a universal point of view, everyone has feelings and shall be touched by the distress and the violence which appears in the film. About personal themes, I did not want to express them directly. I let the original music, my camera and the fish's behavior speak for themselves. My purpose here is to let people interpret the film with their own feeling and subjectivity.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I had written a film very different from what it is now. First of all, I was not looking to shed light on the fish treatment, but to understand why fishermen choose this life. Finally, during the post-production, my feelings and emotions started taking on my reflection and made, according to me, this very special movie.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far I've had the chance to get very mixed feedback. I think the strength of the film is that it provokes a kind of disgust and shock, which leads, I hope, to reflection and debate.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Some people see a message that is quite different from the one I wanted to convey through this film. I found it very constructive and that's why I wanted to stay in a vague narration and a kind of expressionism at times. I was quite surprised by some of this analysis but I really appreciate the fact that people appropriate the film.
I had negative feedback from a fisherman during a festival. My initial objective was not to criticize fishing but to understand the isolation sought by the crew. It turned into a sensory film that tries to tell my experience during this trip
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am grateful to have the exposure and influence of We Are Moving Stories for my film. I trust it will spread the word about my experience on this project. I really enjoyed interacting with the audience whom I met in festivals where I went so far. I am looking forward to meeting future festival goers.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I already have the chance to have a great distributor working on the film (Distribution Paraloeil). The exclusive premiere is still available in many territories. We will be happy to hear from buyers and film festival directors who are interested to see and consider the film. Of course, in the short-film market, we don’t often have this opportunity to talk about the movie in the press, so journalists who are curious about the film are welcome too!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
To be quite honest, I wasn't expecting much from this film, which was the result of an « accident ». I did it initially for myself, to help me in my therapy following this intense shoot, but I'm very happy to see that the film is popular with the public!
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Why did you choose to board a boat for 15 days?
Would you like to add anything else?
I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about my film Agony. I strongly believe we need to keep making these kinds of films and that we need to talk about them to start conversations.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently working on the post-production of my next film which I shot in May 2022. The editing is almost finished. This time no violence but a lot of sweetness!
Interview: January 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Agony
In search of a 15 days lock-in, a director finds himself captive of a trawler on the high seas, where his distress intertwines with the fate of what he films. A sensory experience between expectation and panic, this first short film has become the expiatory film of a traumatized filmmaker.
Length: 13:10
Director: Arnaud Beaudoux
Producer: Arnaud Beaudoux
Writer: Arnaud Beaudoux
About the writer, director and producer:
Born in the french countryside, ARNAUD BEAUDOUX landed in Bas-Saint-Laurent, Quebec, in 2019 after studying and working in film in France. As a sound technician, he works on the films of others while developing and directing his own short film projects.
Looking for: film festival directors, journalists, producers and buyers
Facebook: Arnaud Beaudoux
Instagram: @arnaudbdx_
Website: production.paraloeil.com/agonie
Other: IMDb
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival / Missoula, Montana – 25 February 2023