RESTER VERTICAL (STAYING VERTICAL)

RESTER VERTICAL
D: Alain Guiraudie
FR 2016, 98 min., OmeU

►  Explicit Scenes

Nine months after the writer Léo met Marie, the self-confident daughter  of a shepherd farmer in the southern Countryside of France, their little son is born. After Marie realized that that her desire of love and commitment would not be fulfilled by Léo – who comes and goes without notice – she leaves the farm and Leo alone with his son.

In the meantime Léo deals with the situation himself and meets  with some neighbors from the village such as the good looking Yoan who takes care of Marcel, an elder neighbor…. wouldn´t his agent urging the completion of the manuscript. The following complications of the characters bring Léo into – sometimes bizarre – situations in which he must repeatedly prove to stand upright (rester vertical) – come what may.

The french director Alain Guiraudie (STRANGER BY THE LAKE, 2013) is constructing a multiple story out of a wordplay in RESTER VERTICAL. He aims to draw disturbing as well as affectionate cinema moments on the screen and sends his characters on a partial surrealistic journey of desire and the meaning of life.  Guiraudie skilfully poses the question of the parent role, breaks with stereotypes  – including sexual orientation – and leaves the audience room for interpretations.

 

Alain Guiraudie

Born in France in 1964, he is considered one of the outsiders of French cinema. His films often deal with queer themes. He was known to a wider audience in 2013 when he was awarded as best director in Cannes with STRANGER BY THE LAKE.

Filmgraphy:
2001 Sunshine for the Poor
2001 Ce vieux rêve qui bouge
2003 No rest for the brave
2005 Voici venu le temps
2008 On m’a volé mon adolescence (TV feature)
2009 King of Escape
2013 Stranger by the lake

Genre: feature film
Regie: Alain Guiraudie
Producers: Sylvie Pialat, Benoît Quainon
DoP: Claire Mathon
Cutter: Jean-Christophe Hym
Cast: Damien Bonnard, India Hair, Laure Calamy

Festivals and awards (selection):
Cannes Film Festival 2016: Nominee Palme d’Or, Queer Palm
Lumiere Awards 2017: Most Promising Actor – Damien Bonnard
Sevilla European Film Festival 2016: best director – Alain Guiraudie