A family of eccentric pyrotechnicians is in the centre of a film that itself feels like a firework. Russian premiere as part of the contemporary programme of the Festival of Singular Films.
A Fireland
- Date:
- 24 Sep 2024,
19:30–20:40
- Age restrictions
- 18+
Un pays en flammes
2024, Mona Convert
France—Portugal
71 minutes, French with Russian subtitles
Starring: Margot Auzier, Patrick Auzier, Jean Pujol-Auzier, Vincent Mazaudier
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The inhabitants of the region of Landes in France, almost entirely occupied by marshes, once moved around mostly on stilts and made for quite a sight. Now Landes has been drained and turned into a huge wooded area, but the locals seem to have inherited a certain eccentricity from their ancestors. At least the Auzier family have. In a fireworks dynasty (rather unusual in itself), everyone has their own quirks. Patrick eats grass. Margot is passionately trying to turn herself into a giant firework. Jean choreographs dance by fireflies.
Shot from A Fireland, 2024
There’s a certain inescapable magical, or perhaps supernatural, quality to the film, arising in both visual and audio form.
— Olivia Popp, Cineuropa
The Auziers are absolutely real: they do live in Landes, devoting their time to pyrotechnic stunts (and some to their animals). But to call A Fireland a documentary is a bit of a stretch: director Mona Convert refuses to leave reality alone without intervening in it. Documentary footage in the classic sense is followed by carefully staged scenes. The witch ambient soundtracks, recorded live, transform the prose of provincial life into a mystery. The camera plunges into total darkness and then emerges from it to zoom in on the characters’ faces, making them look like landscapes—and these landscapes are lit up by the fireworks made by the characters. Dramatically, this movie must inevitably end with a Big Bang—but even this premonition cannot prepare the viewer for what unfolds in the finale.
The screening will begin with a brief speech by the curator in Russian. If you require interpretation into English, please request it at least three days in advance by emailing international@ges-2.org.
The world premiere of the film took place in the ACID (Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema) parallel programme at the Cannes Festival (2024).
