West Empire

26'

SYNOPSIS

Remains from a vanished past, the ghost towns of the American West are full of stories and legends. West Empire is an immersion into the heart of these towns left behind after the mining era and in which a few people still persist to live today. In a setting of American deserts, these inhabitants live a timeless life with one priority: the search for freedom. Referring to their past, these men and women bring a strong testimony of their life experience. In the light of these atypical encounters, the film makes us think about how our modern society is governed, about time and the importance of living in the moment of Now.

Role

Cinematographer, Director, Editor, Producer

Production

Mathieu Le Lay Productions

Year

2015

Team

Rock Novak
Walter Kremin
Daisy Reese
David Reese
Lily White

Location

California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona (USA)

Music

The Gentleman Losers Composed by Ville & Samu Kuukka – © Mute Song Ltd – With the authorization of Premiere Music Group

Mixing Studio

Gaïné Audio by Laurent Mollard

Official Film Festival selections

‣ 25th Arizona International Film Festival, USA
‣ 8th TRT Documentary Awards, Turkey
‣ Wales International Documentary Festival, UK
‣ XIII CRONOGRAF Festivalul International de Cinema Documentar, Moldova
‣ 10th High Desert International Film Festival, USA
‣ 56th Krakow Film Festival, Poland
‣ 18th FICA Festival Internacional de Cinema e Video Ambiental, Brazil
‣ 39th Festival de Cinéma Gouel Ar Filmou de Douarnenez, France
‣ Odense International Film Festival 2016, Denmark
‣ Docutah International Documentary Film Festival 2016, USA
‣ The Annual Valley Film Festival 2016, USA
‣ Festival Atmosphères 2016, France
‣ Szczecin European Film Festival 2016, Poland
‣ 33rd Tehran International Short Film Festival, Iran
‣ 16th Festival des Escales Documentaires de La Rochelle, France
‣ Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival - Curta Cinema 2016, Brazil
‣ 20th OFF Cinema Festive, Poland
‣ Jahorina Film Festival 2016, Bosnia-Herzegovina
‣ Dam Short Film Festival 2017, USA
‣ FiSH - Filmfestival im StadtHafen Rostock 2017, Germany

Awards

‣ Special Jury Award for Outstanding Cinematography – 25th Arizona International Film Festival, USA, 2016
‣ Best Short Film – XIII CRONOGRAF Festivalul International de Cinema Documentar, Moldova, 2016
‣ Best Cinematography – 10th High Desert International Film Festival, USA, 2016
‣ Best Short Documentary – The Annual Valley Film Festival, USA, 2016

Press

IMDb
Uni France
KuB - Kultur Bretagne
Fubiz