International premiere

Madly in Life

Local title
Meeletult elus
Original title
Une Vie Démente
Director
Ann Sirot, Raphaël Balboni
Country
Belgium
Year
2020
Programme
First Feature Competition

What if sudden changes reverse children and parents upside down? Sixty something Suzanne can’t live alone any longer. Her current health condition demands for carefully devoted daycare. She feels perfectly normal and prefers to discover joys of life more than ever before, when quickly progressing dementia breaks all wishful thinking.

Loving couple Alex and Noemie exercise themselves to welcome their first child, but family’s dreams must be put on hold, while grown-up kid Suzanne creates hardly controllable mess at home and around. Desired and imagined parenthood is tested by hilarious, sorrowful, provocative surprises of stubbornly creative mother of Alex.

Charismatic Jo Deseure is powerful in a leading role of energetic lady with a fatal neurodegenerative illness. Experienced Belgian portrays psychologically challenged woman in a deeply touching, wise and sensible way. She had permission to freely improvise unscripted scenes, you may think. Organically authentic situations most likely were written after detailed rehearsals.

Since 2007 Sirot & Balboni made several visionary shorts together. With deserved appreciation they grew up to develop imaginatively stylish and blackly humourous approach for dramatic comedy about insane challenges of parenting, moral issues and inspirational senses of responsibility. Behind daring jokes serious topics are hidden.

Edvinas Pukšta

Director
Ann Sirot, Raphaël Balboni
Screenwriter
Ann Sirot, Raphaël Balboni
Cast
Jean Le Peltier, Jo Deseure, Lucie Debay, Gilles Remiche
Producer
Julie Esparbes
DoP
Jorge Piquer Rodríguez
Editor
Raphaël Balboni, Sophie Vercruysse
Production
Hélicotronc
Runtime
Language
French
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Director
Ann Sirot

Ann Sirot ja Raphaël Balboni on stsenaristid ja lavastajad, kes alustasid koostööd 2007. aastal lühifilmiga „Last Play“. Eksperimentaalse kallakuga debüüdist kujunes lavastajapaarile universaalne hüppelaud, mis andis neile inspiratsiooni ka oma järgmisteks auhindu pälvinud lühifilmideks nagu „Just the Letter T“ (2009), „The Wolf’s Version“ (2011) ja „Domestic Tale“ (2012). „Meeletult elus“ on nende esimene täispikk mängufilm.

Best Film Award, grant of 5000 euros from National Geographic

Trailer
Q&A with the filmmaker