Freedom to be alone
WRITTEN & Directed by Alexandre Laurent
Produced BY Maël Hajos
Jade opens up through a poem, sharing her story of an intense relationship with a former lover, marked by a toxic hold fuelled by stereotypes and the societal pressure to avoid being alone. Their breakup, far from being a tragic end, becomes a liberation a journey back to herself where solitude emerges as a soothing and healing remedy.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDRE
Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I've been working in film for seven years now as a director/cinematographer. I was a first assistant for three years, then I became a director of photography by chance. This is my very first real project as a director, a subject that has been close to my heart for a long time.
Tell us about the genesis of Freedom to be alone and your motivation for making this film.
I have had various experiences in life, which have led me to a certain clarity about energies. In this short film, I tell the story through a poem about karmic bonds, using the image of a ball of yarn to symbolize these ties, interpreted with the sensitivity of a woman. I explore what can be resolved by emerging from these very powerful relationships.
The idea came to me while listening to music mainly, then there were the inspirations of directors that I followed like Théo le Sourd I like his work, but also the different experiences and revelations that I had during my filming, I had my vision like all directors of photography and I wanted to give a cinematographic interpretation to the story.
What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Freedom to be alone and how did you overcome them?
We had a small budget and had a lot of constraints, and then a lot of concessions, which allowed me to open my eyes to certain aspects of production. And the importance of having a team you can count on.
What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?
I advise the young director to give himself time to do things, even if there are many budgetary constraints, and then to have a trustworthy and competent team where communication reigns.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
- Baby Bright by Oscar Keys
- Sometimes / Wonder by Theo le sourd
What are you working on next?
Right now I'm working on a feature film called "The Lemon Life" I'm going to adapt it into a short film to approach production companies and then make a film
