“Are you lost?” This question is posed by a concerned war medic to a youthful, cautious alien named Enora as she tries to navigate her way in a sunny forest in Monte Cassino, Italy circa 1944 the morning after her spaceship crashes, leaving her to fend for herself in a foreign place. In this adventure narrative short directed by Swiss natives Sami Khadraoui and Benoit Monney via Bad Taste Pictures, the epoch is World War II, and through the dense woods, Enora (Isabelle Campiche) loses the instrument she needs to call home.
The night after the crash, a frightened Enora staggers into the woods. With a laceration to her head, she comes across war medic, James McMaryon (Sean Biggerstaff) who is tending to a dying soldier. Though Enora must rely on the help of McMaryon to get back home, he too finds himself in need of an emotional rescue. Will the newfound alliances find their resolutions and get out of the woods? Find out at the NYC Premiere of this poignant, heartwarming film about trust and redemption, to be screened at the Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival in New York City on Feb. 25 beginning at 9:45 p.m. at the Cinema Village Theater 1, located at 22 E. 12th St.
Winter Film Awards’ Lianna Albrizio spoke with Enora’s co-directors Benoit Monney and Sami Khadraoui to discuss their film.
Q: Congratulations on your beautiful film! Your storyline is quite unique. What inspired it?
Thank you very much. The main theme in our film is the “fear of strangers”, the fear of what is different from ourselves. We believe that this fear is what started the war. When Enora encounters James, they’re afraid of each other. But they learn they aren’t that different. They’re both far away from home, scared. Finally, they help each other and prove that “strangers” are nothing to fear, but can help you when you need it.
We wanted Enora to be an alien to amplify this feeling of stranger. She is not human and is therefore a stranger for every human being. Furthermore we, as artists, really like the fantastic and sci-fi universe for the magic it brings in a story.
Q: The forest is a fitting backdrop to this contemplative film. Where was it shot, and why did you choose this location?
The shooting took place in Fribourg area, a very rural Swiss region. We chose these woods because they looked like the Apennine Mountains in Italy where the Monte Cassino battle – the historical context of our film – happened. The forest gives a mysterious look to Enora’s quest and shows her sensation of loss.
Q: The word “Enora” in French is loosely translated as “honor.” Was that the idea for your character given the World War II epoch?
The idea was to find an uncommon name which could be associated to the idea of space. The name of Enora was selected because we found interesting that this could be the character’s name but also her constellation.
Q: Speaking of which, in the film, Enora’s eyes turn red every time she is trying to protect herself from perceived danger or when she’s having a flashback. Was that the intent for the eye color change? Why red?
The intent was to find something simple but efficient to show that she is using her powers. We chose the red color to give Enora some strength, some frightening aspect and show that she is able to protect herself.
We wanted an alien who looks almost human but with slight differences. The inspirations for our character’s look are directly taken from Inca’s era. Fun fact: our costume designer drew the Nazca lines on Enora’s poncho.
Q: For an alien, it seems like Enora is very perceptive and intuitive. In the scene where she is walking the woods surrounded by dead soldiers she can hear their thoughts. What was the significance for this power? Was it to be able to better understand her surroundings?
Enora doesn’t understand the human languages but she can feel our emotions. When she hears the voices of the dead soldiers, she understands it was their last thoughts. We wanted to transmit the idea that wherever you come from (in our case Italy and Britain) you’re human and have the same thoughts when facing death. Death is universal. Enora’s power allows her to feel the soldiers distress and understand what is going on on Earth. She also understands James’ sadness during the hill scene without talking and gets that she should be afraid of the two Italian soldiers, not because of their weapons but because of their bad intention.
Q: From watching the film, my takeaway was that no matter what a person may be going through, everyone needs help from time to time, and no matter the issue, there is really nothing you can’t overcome with help from someone – even a stranger. And sometimes, that is even better. Was that the message you want viewers to walk away with when they leave the theater?
Yes exactly. It is for example what shows the last scene. Everyone can help each other even if sometimes we have to let go our fears to know how we can achieve that.
Lianna Albrizio
Lianna Albrizio is a seasoned journalist and editor passionate about covering all facets of the arts from film to books, music and food. She loves interviewing people and spreading the word about their amazing work for all to enjoy.
ABOUT WINTER FILM AWARDS INDIE FILM FESTIVAL
Winter Film Awards Is New York City. Like the city itself, we showcase the eclectic diversity and excitement of the independent arts world. Winter Film Awards is proudly one of the Top 10 Best Reviewed Festivals on FilmFreeway.
The rapidly growing Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival, now in its sixth year, is a dynamic and exciting event in the heart of the City. Winter Film Awards showcases films from emerging filmmakers from around the world in all genres with a special emphasis on highlighting the work of women and minority filmmakers. The Festival runs February 23-March 4 2017 in New York City.
Among the 88 Official Selections to be screened at Cinema Village in the heart of Greenwich Village (22 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003), is a diverse mixture of 11 Animated films, 8 Documentaries, 11 Feature narratives, 10 Horror films, 12 Music Videos, 24 Narrative shorts and 7 Web series, including 12 student films and 33 first-time filmmakers. Filmmakers come from 30 countries; 42% of the films were created by women, 45% were created by people of color. Visit www.WinterFilmAwards.com for schedules, tickets and details!
ABOUT WINTER FILM AWARDS
Winter Film Awards is an all-volunteer, minority- and women-owned registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 in New York City by a group of filmmakers and enthusiasts. The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
