France

Synopsis

Clara and Julien have their first date at a restaurant. She, a lovely secretary, tries hard to seduce him, especially as she feels ill at ease in this environment, hoping to see him again. He, a young diplomat, is restless and tries everything to cut the evening short …

Director's Biography

Cécile Vernant was born in 1973 and grew up in Martinique (French West Indies). She arrived in France at 18, and after a Master Degree in English and American Literature, she entered an acting school and then decided to work on both sides of the camera. Her first script to enter production was THE DINNER, a romantic comedy about appearances. While waiting for its production process to be finished, she wrote, co- produced and directed a 2’56’’ comedy called SPIN THE BOTTLE (2004). That movie, shot in DV during an afternoon, is a tragicomedy about the young bourgeoisie and its limits. It won a contest on Canal+ and attended a dozen of festivals in France and abroad. She then directed THE DINNER which was finished in the beginning of 2006. THE DINNER has been selected for more than 80 festivals in France and abroad (Palm Springs, Rome, Montreal, London, Berlin, Valladolid etc.) and won 24 awards . In 2005, she won a script award at the Cannes Critic’s Week. That third movie called ONCE UPON A TIME ... SASHA AND DÉSIRÉ» was shot in June 2006. It’s a 25-minute poetic love story relating the encounter, in the 1930s, between a Russian Jewish girl and an Afro-Caribbean boy. It is based on the story of her own grandparents. That movie, which premiered during the 2007 Cannes Critic’s Week, was selected for more than 20 festivals in France and abroad (Fespaco Ouagadougou, London, etc…) and won 6 awards.
Cécile has two other short films in developpment, and is writing her first feature.
 | 

Cast & Crew

Directed by: Cécile Vernant

Written by: Cécile Vernant

Cinematography: Yohann Charinn

Cast: Julie Dray (Clara), Guillaume Cramoisan (Julien)

Nominations and Awards

  • European Short Film 2007