Mathias Malzieu

Born 1974, Montpellier (France). He is the founding member of the band Dionysos which he formed with schoolfriends in 1993. He wrote novels including LA MÉCANIQUE DU COEUR, which was also published in the UK, Germany and Italy.

Stéphane Berla

Born 1975, Lyon (France). He has directed several short films (such as SCOUB 2), music videos and commercials. He regularly combines live action scenes with animated elements and digital manipulation. This is his first feature film.

Director’s statement (Mathias Malzieu)

“I wanted to talk about passionate love and a tolerance for difference, which are two very powerful themes, with the idea of an adventure lurking behind them. I wanted to do something like THE LITTLE PRINCE or PINOCCHIO — without pretending to hold a candle to them — only slightly more surreal, with imagery that’s a little more out there. People often mention Tim Burton, and I love the relationship between beauty and monstrosity in his work. But I feel closer to Jim Jarmusch and his slightly weary characters, or to the baroque yet tender side of Fellini, or FREAKS by Tod Browning, who also broached the subject of difference, in a slightly unsettling yet poetic and sweet way. I might also mention Edward Gorey and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a very free artist who I really like and hope to pay tribute to with this film. I love combining different tones, which is why I’ve intertwined the fairytale with the reality of Edinburgh, and I tried to pull very human, very real emotions from the images”.