The story of these films begins in 2012 at the forum of Montluçon where we met with Frank (Frank PIZON, the director). He had exposed me that day the script of a medium-length film that he was keen to complete. After reading the synopsis, I realized that Frank had not only transcribed part of his own story as a fisherman, but also, without knowing it, part of mine. He had fully put into writing everything he was feeling, everything I was feeling� Our story became common.
Thus, from this meeting, Frank made the two-part film entitled "A Voice Over the Reeds". The first part tells the story of a fisherman returning to the place of his childhood. The second part focuses on the fisherman's adolescence. This film is a thought for our respective grandfathers, who died too early and who transmitted us the virus of our passion.
A voice above the reeds
Over time, only the memories remain. A quote from Lois Lowry says, "The worst thing about holding onto memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness you find yourself in. Memories are meant to be shared. Our common memories could now be shared through "Hunting and Fishing".
This sharing was even going to be done through Eastern Europe by being broadcasted on a big thematic channel "Children of the Waterfront" on four countries: Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Romania. A great adventure to see his images go to the International! By the realization of this film, we felt a certain appeasement, a certain reliefâeuros¦ A first homage was paid to our grandfathers and this homage was not limited to the hexagon!
Part 1:
Part 2:
A last opus under the sign of the transmission
But this story did not end there! Frank and I wanted to express through a last opus the sharing and transmission that had made us the fishermen and people that we are. For this, the story of the film "shivers" was going to be built around the sharing of the passion of fishing between a father and his son. Through images of simple things of life at the water's edge, it was necessary to bring back childhood memories in a different way.
In short, we wanted to honor what many had experienced. Our passion is in a way a school of life, a school of nature where sharing and transmission are the essential vectors. This sharing and transmission, which are honored in the film, maintain the memories of our first fishing trips and allow us to prolong the link with our elders. It is concretely a way to make live what they taught us.
Synopsis
It is the story of a transmission from generation to generation, that of the passion of fishing. In the heart of France, a father and son perpetuate this tradition with the same spirit of sharing. All the little things that make life great on the banks of a river or a pond are an opportunity for them to live the strength of the moment with complicity.
An audience reached
Even if this medium honors what we have lived and represents a small piece of our history, it sends back to many a small piece of themselves. We have received many messages expressing this return to childhood with strong words such as "tears", "emotions", "love ", "Children of the Waterfront"âeuros¦ These messages have extremely touched us especially since it is never easy to express what we feel. THANK YOU for all this.
The international life of the film
The film "Les enfants du bord de l'eau" was released in early 2016 as a preview in the Netherlands at the Zwolle Carp Show as part of the ECFFT (European Carp Fishing Film Tour) organized by Carpzilla.
The film was then screened in about twenty German and Austrian cinemas (Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin,âeuros¦). For the event, the film was specially translated and dubbed in the language of Goethe.
A big thank you to Mark Dörner from Carpzilla for trusting us, but also to his grand-nephew Max who has skilfully dubbed our film in the recording studio in Germany. We know from Mark's feedback that the film has been highly appreciated in theatres across the Rhine.
And in France?
In France, the film was supported by the Groupement National Carpe. It was officially released during the 14th International Carp and Catfish Forum of Montluçon. Fernand De Castro, President of the GN Carpe, and the members of his team wished (and we thank them sincerely!) to support the film and the messages it conveyed.
Since this French premiere, the film is available for free on Vimeo (Find all the films at the bottom of the article).
For the League against Cancer!
the film "Une voix au-dessus des roseaux" and the entire "Kiki" were released on DVD. All the profits were donated to the League against Cancer. Frank and I were absolutely determined to see this project through to the end: to showcase our passion, to transcribe what we felt, to pay tribute to our respective grandfathers and to help fight against this bloody disease that took away from us those who gave birth to our passion for fishing.
Lots of little winks
At a time when nostalgia for old equipment continues to be felt more than ever, we wanted with Frank to revive the musettes, rods, squirrels, baskets, of our grandfathers. All these objects that we looked at with wonder, envy and questions when we were kids are now on the screen. These objects are the mute witnesses of a close past with a particular smell, stories, a lifeâ?¦
Ah, if they could talk! The small trailer that Killian uses to go fishing alone also has a storyâ?¦ It is the one of a friend, Christophe, with whom I used to go to the Canal when I was a teenager. I had much the same. But the inscription No Kill brought an undeniable plus to convey this message that was already so dear to us. The notebook where Killian writes is none other than Frank's where the information of the young fisherman he was is collected. The concern of the detail thus largely guided the choice of the accessories of the film!
Berry and Bourbonnais in the spotlight
The places where the story takes place are in Berry and Bourbonnais. Lands where everything started for us and where our grandfathers gave us this virus full of values. At that time, we used to go to the rivers to practice fishing with the bolt in search of pretty goujons, the fishing with the paste to seduce the bleaks and the roaches or the fishing with the pipée (with the grasshopper)âeuros¦ It is thus that the Allier river and its affluents are the witnesses of unforgettable memories just like the ponds of the forest of Tronçais or the Petite Creuse river.
The carp fishing, whether in pond or in river, was simply translated by a fishing in the cork with a draft in the potato or in the corn. And it is not by chance that Killian uses these techniques to catch with efficiency his pretty carp in the film when he goes fishing alone with his cart. Since then, fishing has evolved a lot, but all this remains anchored in our heads. Killian had only one hit, but the right one! I think he hit one of the nicest fish in the pond, if not the biggest.
This piece of water is home to many small carp. Well, "real father" managed to seduce a nicely proportioned fish. We were watching this catch with a certain amazement and our past memories were not far away for all of us now adults. Silently, we identified with him as kids. Remember the pride we had in telling our first solo fishing trips. And what about the pride expressed by our elders when listening to us. Emotional sequenceâeuros¦
A wind of freshness and unexpectedness blew on the shooting
The 2 CV van which appears in the film was lent to us by Jean who was a former teacher of my school. It is with his son-in-law Vincent that I went to the place of the shooting to join Frank, Killian and his "father of the film".
However, from the very first moments of the shooting, a certain complicity was established between the two of us. It's not easy for a little boy of this age to act as if I were his real father. He fully played his role. His spontaneity, his love for fishing, his desire to do well and to please, transformed the shooting into a real and sincere moment of sharing. Whether it was Frank behind the camera or me at his side, we saw the wonder in his eyes. The transmission is beautiful!
