Life Game

Starring: Yannick Guiraud, Janine Piguet
Written by: Antonio Petrone
Directed by: Antonio Petrone
Produced by: Creamorphic, Tonyfilms
Year: 2020
Country: Switzerland

Plot summary

Guillaume Anvers lost his restaurant because due to the COVID crisis, and he now has to live in a camp tent in the forest. An expected job opportunity might change his life.

The director’s statement

In 2020, the covid-19 health crisis disrupted our entire lives, impacting our social life and our day-to-day life. Nobody was expecting such a worlwide tidal wave. It affected our mental health and our state of mind. It helped us understand that humanity went too far, and neglected the planet, once again, to put forward profit and wealth. What most struck me was the financial downfall of independent entrepreneurs who were losing everything and were injustly punished. Some were hanging on, some took their own life, it was heartbreaking to see. With this short film, produced for the Nikon Film Festival (that had « game » for theme) I made an analogy with life as a game we are all playing.

Synopsis

Guillaume Anvers, 39 years old, lost everything. He was the owner of a magnificent gourmet restaurant that he had opened twenty years ago, and that had always been very successful. However, when the COVID health crisis hit, Guillaume loses his restaurant. Burdened with debt, he loses his house, and his wife leaves, taking their 4-year-old daughter with her, who he hasn’t seen in two years. Now, he lives like a homeless person in the forest, with only the bare minimum, braving the cold every night in his camping tent. One day, an opportunity arises for a job interview. With nothing left to lose, he presents himself at a restaurant to be hired as a waiter.

Artistic sheet

Yannick Guiraud : Guillaume Anvers – Janine Piguet : restaurant owner

Extras : Laura Urfer : girl in the picture – Morgane Herbez : girl in the metro

Technical sheet

Based on an idea by: Yannick Guiraud – Original script by : Antonio Petrone – Produced by : Tonyfilms – Co-produced by Creamorphic – Music : Thomas Mercier – Director of photography: Alejandro Nunez – First assistant director : Morgane Herbez – Camera assistant : Danny Villacorta – Production sound mixer: Jonathan Millar – Gaffer : Pierre Voltchkoff – Script : Jasmine Brechbiehl – Make-up artist: Sarah Giacomin – Stage manager : Mathéo Lüdi – Transportation management : Marine Fracassi –Set decorator: Michaël Alvarez – Set photographer : Walter Marinelli – Calibration : Creamorphic SNC – Voice-over: MSJ Production and Christophe Hürni – Movie poster : Daovima.

Special thanks

Gerber & Wyss restaurant in Yverdon-les-Bains – The town of Bussigny – Les transports Lausannois (TL) (Lausanne public transportation)

Film video

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