Battlefield
2023 | France | Directed by François Vauthier | Produced by Jérémy Sahel
22 minutes
Licensing
“They called me to the 3rd North Trench. A line that needs repairing. It's blowing up everywhere. I can't hear much anyway. My eardrums were blown out by a shell. This war isn't my luck. I'm 20 years old and I don't even have a rifle.”
The earth carries within it all the memory of men. When they suffer, their pain and torment always resurface. In 1916, the fields of Verdun were the scene of unprecedented savagery. Bruised bodies, mutilated landscapes, skies darkened by despair… In this environment, a soldier, Julien, crosses this dark time, abandoning his youth and happiness. He and the nature that surrounds him are forever united in a common destiny.
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
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- OFFICIAL SELECTION | Unframed Collection Catalog, DreamAway Illucity, France (2024)
CREDITS
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Director
François Vauthier
Luxembourgish Producer
DIGITAL VOODOOH
In co-production
Da Prod (FR)
Kwassa Films (BE)
International sales
Jeremy Sahel
Cast
Rod Paradot
Thimotée Robart
Nilton Martins
Denis Jousselin
Michael Erpelding
Tristan Mangeot
Lou Mergen
Distributor
François Vauthier
Director
François Vautier is a multidisciplinary artist. After studying visual arts and audiovisual design, he pursued a long career as an art director and set designer for various television channels. While gaining extensive experience as a director through numerous music videos, commercials, and experimental short films, François’s passion for imagery led him to continue his research in audiovisual design and to explore new techniques of filming in virtual studios.
His filmography, now rich with several feature films and immersive works, reveals a personal universe where the boundaries of space and time are questioned through sensory immersions and innovative graphic forms. François’s work revolves around two central themes: the absolute and the future of humanity. This is reflected in his recent films I Saw the Future and Recoding Entropia, which were presented at the Venice Film Festival and selected in numerous festivals.
Jérôme Sahel
Producer
Jérémy Sahel is a French producer and director, known for his dedication to immersive and experimental filmmaking. As the founder of the production company Da Prod, he has collaborated with director François Vautier on several innovative projects, including the virtual reality short film I Saw the Future.
Sahel also produced Odyssey 1.4.9 (2019), a virtual reality short film loosely inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as Champ de Bataille, an immersive work focused on the First World War.
Through these projects, he expresses a deep interest in visual and sonic experimentation, and a strong desire to explore new modes of storytelling within immersive cinema. In short, Jérémy Sahel stands out as a key figure in immersive filmmaking, pushing the boundaries of traditional narrative to deliver unique sensory and artistic experiences to audiences.
Da Production
Producer
Da Prod is a production company founded in 2015 by Jeremy Sahel and specializing in innovative formats such as virtual reality. Da Prod has notably produced François Vautier’s immersive films “I Saw The Future”, “Odyssey 1.4.9” and “Recoding Entropia”, multi-awarded and multi-released (VR, 2D, immersive locations…). Da Prod is currently producing its new immersive film “Champ de Bataille”, shot in live action. Da Prod is also co-producing “Human Violins”, an interactive VR experience about the power of music during the Holocaust, directed by Ioana Mischie.