WHAT IF DEATH COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
☆☆☆☆
by Sofia Mogno
At the edge of a hill surrounding a medieval castle, a mysterious face-covered dark knight (François-David Cardonnel) appears and stands on his horse, waiting. The king of the castle, Mort-Lieu (Pascal Greggory), fears that “she” has sent him to bring him back to her. The fatal lady, Death (female in French), claims his life. Yet, the courageous knight is not ready for this battle. There is still a fear that has haunted him all his life, for which he claimed the blood of many. Being a bastard child, the honor in battle was the only way to cancel his past as illegitimate descendant, as it was underlined by the red line on his shield: a lion for courage, line for the bastard. That’s why he taught his son Hargrold (Jonas Bloquet) to bravely confront and kill those who face him, under his motto “By blood, let it flow”.
However, Mont-Lieu, who has defeated all rivals, cannot face his greatest and most feared enemy: Death itself. Only when his young son goes out to battle against the mysterious messenger, Mont-Lieu prepares and leaves his castle to finally face his greatest fear. Would that really be Death? Maybe, living with an unnecessary burden may be even worse than death itself, and maybe only Death can make us face our biggest fears. At the very end of the journey, Mont-Lieu and the viewers will discover that what we leave in his world is our own blood, our own mark. That’s how our legacy survives our death: “By blood, let it (life) flow”.
Par Le Sang (The original French title) features the medieval atmosphere of a great “Chanson de Geste”, bringing the viewers back into a world of castles, knights, legacies, honor, and duels. The movie is a drama set in the French mountains, surrounding a lost ancient castle. The excellent work of costumes, set and props bring a true Medieval Times life. The main character, Mont-Lieu, holds the epic feeling and torment of a Ancient Greek tragedy’s hero, bringing even more pathos to the brilliant story.
Par Le Sang is a short dramatic and fictional movie, directed and written by Jonathan Delerue – at his first experience as a director after a career as a storyboard artist – and Guillaume Enard, who is at his second work as a director after “Brumes” (2005). This encounter, between a director who works heavily on light and dark, and a storyboard artist, who relies on colors, enriches the vibrant red-and-dark contrast. The recurrence of red, in the blood, in nightmares, in the “infamous mark” on the shield, accrues the meaning of the story, and of the title itself, while the darkness echoes the intimate fears of Mont-Lieu.
At the moment, Par Le Sang has been nominated for many Festivals, winning 23 awards, including Berlin Short Film Festival, European Cinematography Awards (ECA), Mexico City Independent Film Festival, Paris Short Film Festival, and many more. It was also listed and screened in Cannes Festival 2018’s Short Film Catalog.
Par Le Sang is the movie for those who dreamed of being a knight at least once, for those who want to be brought back in time, and for those who love duels, even with their biggest fears. If you are afraid of facing them alone, call your family and legacy over, and reunite all together to watch this short movie. Face with them your epic battle!
Are you already into the medieval atmosphere? Have a look at the teaser below!
