Paris at night. The driving bass of a sound system thunders through an underground car park. On the dance floor of a club, the revellers allow themselves be propelled by techno, enveloped in smoke and light, communicating only with their bodies. Félicie is approached by her ex-girlfriend, but she turns away. In the next room, the music is quieter. People get talking, consume drugs or take a break before throwing themselves into the dancing once more. This is where Félicie meets Saïd who has just come from his shift as a driver and tells her about the “gilets jaunes” protests. Félicie suggests that they move on to party at her place while the other revellers continue to abandon themselves to the night.
In clear-eyed close-ups that float amidst an ever-developing soundscape, director Anthony Lapia captures the anatomy and energy of a party just as well as the gradual transition to the quieter world of the afterparty. On the cusp between night and day, different lives and views collide before, more or less gently but inexorably, everyday life returns.
by Anthony Lapia
with Louise Chevillotte, Majd Mastoura, Natalia Wiszniewska, Killian Briot, Olivier Chantreau, Juliette Gharbi, Romain Gillot, Laura Mélinand, Barbara Rollet, Yousra Saidyess, Yuryi Zavalniouk
France 2023 French 69’ Colour World premiere | Debut film

With

  • Louise Chevillotte (Félicie)
  • Majd Mastoura (Saïd)
  • Natalia Wiszniewska (Kasia)
  • Killian Briot (Sacha)
  • Olivier Chantreau (Ivan)
  • Juliette Gharbi (Hannah)
  • Romain Gillot (Yann)
  • Laura Mélinand (Sarah’s Friend)
  • Barbara Rollet (Kasia’s Lover)
  • Yousra Saidyess (Sarah)
  • Yuryi Zavalniouk (Youri)

Crew

Director Anthony Lapia
Screenplay Anthony Lapia
Cinematography Robin Fresson, Raimon Gaffier
Editing Joran Leroux-Gipouloux
Music Panzer
Sound Design Antoine Bertucci, Grégoire Chauvot, Inoa Kan, Tom Macary, Benjamin Remize
Sound Mixing Lucien Richardson
Sound Charlotte Comte, Clément Ghirardi
Production Design Maxime Blondeau, Natalia Wiszniewska
Costumes Natalia Wiszniewska
Make-Up Noé Quilichini, Emma Razafindralambo-Delestré, Thomas Robert
Assistant Directors Ilias El Faris, Clara Teper
Production Managers Lorenzo Bianchi, Léa Goldziuk
Creative Producers Natalia Wiszniewska, Maximilien Pegasus
Producers Lorenzo Bianchi, Anthony Lapia, Félicie Roger, Avantika Singh Desbouvries
Executive Producers Lorenzo Bianchi, Anthony Lapia, Félicie Roger, Avantika Singh Desbouvries
Co-Producers Annabelle Bouzom, Philippe Guérin
Co-Production Les films de l’autre cougar Rabastens
Les productions du Mont-Pelat Paris

Anthony Lapia

After studying fine arts in Paris and Madrid, he took up a film degree at the Paris 8 University where he created two short fiction films. In 2011, he was accepted into La Fémis film school where he made the short Panda with Solène Rigot and Finnegan Oldfield. The film went on to screen at Clermont-Ferrand and the Côté Court Festival. Since then, he has produced 13 films for the Société Acéphale production company while also working on his own projects. After is his debut feature film.

Filmography

2010 Soliloques; short film 2011 Unica; short film 2013 Panda; short film 2023 After

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023