Avant l'effondrement

  • 96'
  • France
  • 2023

A sweltering summer in Paris provides the backdrop in award-winning French author Alice Zeniter’s highly anticipated directorial debut.

Teaming up with partner and co-director Benoît Volnais, Avant l’effondrement is the second foray into filmmaking for the acclaimed writer of L’Art de perdre. A Big Screen Competition contender, the pair draw on a world of political upheaval and personal conflict through the life of campaign manager Tristan, interpreted by rising star Niels Schneider, who is preparing to fight an election for his left-leaning party. With the soaring city temperatures pushing everyone to the brink, the arrival of an anonymous letter proves devastating and throws Tristan’s world into turmoil.

Having published her first novel as a teenager, Zeniter is no stranger to tackling complex issues and characters in her stories. Flitting between the cramped, polluted Parisian streets and the calm, agrarian idyll of Brittany, the tense drama pits the stresses of city life against a utopian countryside. As Tristan is forced to come to terms with his past, he risks his career and relationships to uncover the truth.

 

Justine Maybank

Directors
Alice Zeniter, Benoît Volnais
Premiere
World premiere
Country of production
France
Year
2023
Festival Edition
IFFR 2023
Length
96'
Medium
DCP
International title
Before We Collapse
Language
French
Producer
Marie Masmonteil
Production Company
Elzévir Films
Sales
Pyramide International
Screenplay
Alice Zeniter, Benoît Volnais
Cinematography
Jean-Louis Vialard
Editor
Frédéric Baillehiache
Production Design
Héléna Cisterne
Sound Design
Marie-Clotilde Chéry
Music
Sophie Trudeau
Cast
Niels Schneider, Ariane Labed, Souheila Yacoub
Directors
Alice Zeniter, Benoît Volnais
Premiere
World premiere
Country of production
France
Year
2023
Festival Edition
IFFR 2023
Length
96'
Medium
DCP
International title
Before We Collapse
Language
French
Producer
Marie Masmonteil
Production Company
Elzévir Films
Sales
Pyramide International
Screenplay
Alice Zeniter, Benoît Volnais
Cinematography
Jean-Louis Vialard
Editor
Frédéric Baillehiache
Production Design
Héléna Cisterne
Sound Design
Marie-Clotilde Chéry
Music
Sophie Trudeau
Cast
Niels Schneider, Ariane Labed, Souheila Yacoub