Square Medium Picture Company presents a Niagara Kinescope Project THE WHIRLPOOL Written and Directed by Starring: Agathe Feoux, Pierre Perrier 2012 / USA / 74 mins / HD / Color/ French with English subtitles Contact info: : alvin.case@mac.com 01 617 291 1826 Website: www.thewhirlpoolfilm.com 1
CREW Director Writers Dialogue Producer Director of Photography Sound Recordists Editors Sound Design Music Props and Prod Design Production Company Copyright Holder, Edward Case, Agathe Feoux, Pierre Perrier David Ladr, Alfred Zuniga, Edward Case Claudia Carty David Marks Square Medium/Niagara Kinescope Square Medium Picture Company CAST Agathe Victor Gordon Mandolin Man +Voice Dr Reinhart Uncle Gerald Priest Agathe Feoux Pierre Perrier Gordon Ramsey Michael Amitin Arnaud Le Boulanger Gerald Coble Robert Nunnelley 2
SYNOPSIS Agathe, in her mid twenties, struggles with being adopted and the survival techniques she has devised in a guilt-laden, sexual relationship with her therapist. When he sends her off on a holiday alone to Niagara Falls, she meets a charismatic loner named Victor who is haunted by a recent tragedy. After touring the Falls she impulsively initiates a romance, which is punctuated by her recurring migraine headaches. They begin a road trip which takes them across New York State to Victor s uncle's house, and there most of their secrets are revealed. Before her flight back to Paris, Victor promises to join her and continue their relationship. One night in Paris, Victor's inner demons take hold and he locks her in a small utility room in his flat. She awakes, trapped. Yelling and screaming for help, fighting her migraine, she finally finds the strength to push the door open and escape. Using a kaleidoscopic visual style of editing, THE WHIRLPOOL is a powerful and emotional portrait of the meeting of two lives. Bound by secrets and fears, the two lovers are driven blindly into each other s arms. This whirlpool of emotions is constructed from a woman s perspective, where painfully vivid events blur the lines between memory, fantasy, and reality. 3
DIRECTOR S PRODUCTION NOTES From the very beginning this project has defied most notions of how to make a contemporary film. Self financed and produced with the help of friends and family this film was a passionate and intimate project for all involved. THE WHIRLPOOL was born out of a series of chance meetings and some of my own questions about the definition of cinema. For me, cinema offers an exchange that can be based entirely on image and sound and is uniquely positioned to reflect the way humans actually experience events and how the brain assembles meaning. Shooting in Paris, upstate New York, Boston, and Niagara Falls (both New York and Ontario) necessitated a compact crew and very portable equipment. With a maximum crew of five at any given time and with an open-ended scenario, every moment demanded flexibility and creative input from the actors and crew. We were determined to follow the story where it led us and allow the actors to fully develop their characters through improvisation. This fluid approach lead to an ever-changing storyline, which demanded an open approach to locations and character development. Elements began to change from the very first day, and many of these changes worked their way into the final cut of the film. It became important to bridge some of these new elements with visual references to the characters emotional landscapes. The paintings of Balthus in some scenes and the framing of Edvard Munch for others scenes helped to create a visual vocabulary that reflected these emotional states. Claudia Carty's involvement from the beginning of the project and her ability to connect instinctively with the story is evident in the beautiful and cohesive music she created and performed for the film. 4
DIRECTOR S FILMOGRAPHY MONTAUK / 2012 / USA / 22 mins / HD (iphone4) / English (in post production) THE WHIRLPOOL / 2011 / USA / 74 mins / HD / French with English subtitles THE GENEVA EFFECT / 2010 / USA / 25 mins / HD / Italian THE EGOISTS / 1993-2009 / USA / 18 mins / PXL analog video FORCE MAJEURE / 2009 / USA / 30 mins / Digital and Analog Video TWILIGHT OF THE KING / 2007 / USA / 11 mins / Analog Video 5
PRINCIPLE CAST selected feature film roles PIERRE PERRIER (born Val-de-Marne, France) The Whirlpool - Victor 2011 American Translation - Chris 2011 Going South - Jérémie 2009 Family Hero - Raphaël 2006 One to Another - Sébastien 2006 Cold Showers - Clément 2005 AGATHE FEOUX (born Clermont Ferrand, France) The Whirlpool - Agathe 2011 6
TECHNICAL DETAILS CAMERAS Panasonic Lumix GH1 Canon 7D Apple iphone 4 LENSES Zeiss CP.2 28mm Minolta 50mm Pentax 50mm Apple iphone 4 camera lens SUPPORT Red Rock Micro Captain Stubling SOUND Sennheiser ME66 microphone Zoom H4 digital recorder EDITING Apple Final Cut Pro 6 7