a short film by Nicolas Boucart a production Hélicotronc & Offshore SYNOPSIS On a tiny island encircled by steep cliffs, a unique house stands alone facing the sea. Obsessed by the dream that, one day, man may be able to fly just like a bird, an inventor experiments with machines on this abandoned piece of land. For this man, only a pure, light and naive soul is capable of such a feat. Recruited from the continent, 11-year-old Joseph seems to be the perfect candidate. CASTING PHILIPPE REBBOT (SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY)

2018 Moi, maman, ma mère et moi by Christophe Le Masne 2018 L’amour flou by Philippe Rebbot 2018 La finale by Robin Sykes 2018 Normandie nue by Philippe Le Guay 2017 Icare by Nicolas Boucart 2017 Simon et Théodore by Mikael Buch 2017 Vent du Nord by Walid Matar 2017 Gauguin - Voyage de Tahiti by Edouard Deluc 2017 Des plans sur la comète by Guilhem Amesland 2017 Aurore by Blandine Lenoir 2016 Le locataire by Nadège Loiseau 2016 L’effet aquatique by Sólveig Anspach 2016 Les premiers les derniers by Bouli Lanners 2015 Les chevaliers blancs by 2015 Une famille à louer by Jean-Pierre Améris 2015 Pitchoune by 2014 Zouzou by Blandine Lenoir 2014 Le père Noël by Alexandre Coffre 2014 On a failli être amies by Anne Le Ny 2014 Tristesse Club by Vincent Mariette 2014 Hippocrate by Thomas Lilty 2013 Baby Balloon by Dominique Laroche 2013 Lulu femme nue by Sólveig Anspach 2012 Mariage à Mendoza by Edouard Deluc 2009 ¿Donde está Kim Basinger? by Edouard Deluc MAXIME BESSONOV

2017 Icare by Nicolas Boucart 2014 Monster by Delphine Girard ALBERT CHASSAGNE

2017 Icare by Nicolas Boucart 2012 Au nom du Fils by Vincent Lannoo 2009 Full On by Dominique Reding INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR

What are the origins of this project? What is the starting This man is Léonard. He’s an ambiguous character... point for Icare? A universal The character of Léonard is ready to do anything to fulfill his dreams. I The starting point is ultimately a universal dream: the ability to fly. asked myself the following questions: What does fulfilling your dreams dream: mean? And what sacrifices do you have to make? As a child, I daydreamed a lot while imagining myself floating in the the ability to fly wind like a bird, discovering the world while flying over the trees, the It’s great to meet people who see things through to the end! It’s strong, fields, the sea... This dream continues to preoccupy some of my nights. positive, inspiring. These people who succeed in going above and beyond, laughing in the face of limitations and using certain restrictions Man has learned to walk, swim, jump, climb... but has never managed to bring about change. But here, obsessed with and blinded by his His ideal to fly «by himself» like a bird. Since the beginning of civilization, dream, Léonard manages to perceive the unthinkable. He crosses a however, there have been some more or less crazy attempts. This line. The project leads to him to sacrificing children. He does not do drives him to dream has sometimes led very serious and rational engineers to this out of cruelty, but because it’s logical in view of his research and it conduct completely crazy experiments! I find it incredible and very is what he needs to do if he hopes to succeed. do something alluring. I thought that there could be a man somewhere on an island who continues to harbor that dream, despite everything. This ambiguity interests me. His ideal drives him to do something morally morally unacceptable. He is both a dreamer and an executioner. And the viewer also ends up having an ambiguous relationship with this unacceptable character, admiring his determination while rejecting his actions. As with your previous films, this movie may be classed as My first inspiration is Mr. Vertigo by Paul Auster, for his «well-meaning a fable or allegory. Is this something that you consciously executioner» character. The dual nature of the character was a fantastic Profoundly breeding ground for expressing the complexity of human beings. But pursue and build upon? behind all this, as with all my other projects, there is the influence of reprehensible the world of Brel that I keep on coming back to. Fulfilling your dreams, I think that it comes from a certain shyness within me, a certain coyness disgarding social conventions, not following the herd, «standing on about my feelings. I need to be in the allegory, to build a kind of mirror, experiments your own two feet»: these topics resonate throughout his songs, so as not to directly present reality. behind his words. have been and This process also allows me to enter more magical and poetic universes. Sound design and music play an important role in the film. Very quickly, This pleases me a lot in terms of aesthetics. And that perhaps brings still are being with composer, Manuel Roland, we gravitated towards the cello. Its me a little closer to that way of communicating that I like in the songs of bass sound and the length of the notes drew pictures in my head and Jacques Brel, who is one of my spiritual fathers. This great poet speaks carried out in brought me to this island. The definitive music was recorded with four of human feelings and manages to say a thousand things about the musicians, who played live while looking at images from the film. An world in a few words, under the guise of poetry. We are beyond reality. the name of impressive and moving physical experience. The image is born from its evocative power. «progress.” In Icare, the allegorical aspect of the universe allows a subtext to exist. You mention the island where the story takes place. But it’s Pioneers are often perceived as mad men. Profoundly reprehensible far more than just a setting... experiments have been and still are being carried out in the name of «progress.” In one way or another, we all benefit from their results, For all my projects, the scenery is very important. For me, it’s a real while being clear of any responsibility. I’m very interested in this very character, who weighs heavily on the credibility of the universe. When contemporary issue. Experimentation is part of the human character, I’m in a place that I like, directing is not complicated at the time of but does it always leads to an evolution? shooting. So, I take the time I need to find the right scenery. My first inspiration is What was your professional approach and inspiration For Icare, this took a very long time. I scoured the entire French coast! Brittany offered the most impressive and relevant landscapes with purity when developing the universe of the film? and breathtaking beauty. I was looking for cliffs for reasons relating Mr. Vertigo by to the script, but also, because I wanted rugged, wild, almost hostile Setting this story at the beginning of the 20th century allowed me to beauty. And I was dreaming of an island: I wanted to put the team in Paul Auster cheat a little in terms of certain conventions and to develop an aesthetic a situation, isolation similar to what the characters would experience. universe that pleases me. Furthermore, this period corresponds to the As for the team, being on an island created a sense of closeness and early days of modern aviation and highlights even further Léonard’s great cohesion! unswerving determination to make man fly without an engine. We chose to shoot on the island of Groix and precisely at the foghorn Regarding my influences, oddly, it’s not so much movies or photos that at the Pointe de Pen Men. Such a preserved location, situated... in the inspire me, but above all, music, poetry and books. My imagination is heart of a nature reserve! One of the main challenges was to convince stimulated more by what I read or hear than by what I see. the institutions in charge of protecting the sites to allow us to film. It took a year. Technically speaking, there were many challenges: transporting his «detachedness» in the saddest way possible. His angelic image equipment, accommodating everyone on site... Shooting on a nature ultimately came to support the theory and madness of Léonard, who reserve created other obstacles. Before making the slightest move was seeking an «angel» who was able to rise into the air. outside a marked path, for example, geotextile fabric had to be laid down to accommodate the technicians and equipment! For the character of Salaï, I wanted to work with Albert Chassagne, Léonard was a young actor with a somewhat atypical physique, whom I knew and It was sometimes complicated but the challenge of getting the right whose work I loved. He got involved in such a great way in this role, seeking an scenery was crucial. So much so that, when it turned out that the main which was very different from anything he had taken on before. actor was unavailable during the period when we had permission to « angel » who shoot, I prioritized the location... and sought another actor. Icare is one of the ten short films in the running for the OSCARS®. What does that mean to you? he could get So, let’s talk about the cast! I have given so much for this film. Icare was screened at a few good to fly Pierre Richard was supposed to play Léonard. When I had to consider festivals, but also went many weeks without being shown. This led me someone else, I immediately thought of Philippe Rebbot. I had met to do some soul-searching. Being selected for the Brussels Short Film him working on a Bouli Lanners film, “The First, the Last,” and we Festival and winning the Grand Prix was incredible and has truly given immediately became firm friends. Apart from his acting, which I find my confidence a boost. Furthermore, for the first year, the festival’s very good, I was attracted by the poetry of his gestures and his way Grand Prix submitted the movie for OSCARS® nomination! I was very of laughing, talking and grasping things. He has something of the happy, but also very amused, as it had seemed so improbable. burlesque about him. Humanly speaking, he is very attractive: you can’t I started to not love this guy! He was the perfect choice to humanize Léonard. Then the film was screened in the United States, and even received a Grand Prix (at the Nashville Film Festival). The film seemed to be well dream a little... When I called him to present the project, he accepted without reading received there and, as I was coming back from The Hollywood Film the script. I was over the moon. I reworked the character slightly: I festival, I started to dream a little... “It just goes to show that anything is It just goes feel it’s important when a new actor joins a movie. Léonard lost part possible!” But, to be honest, making this shortlist is the surprise of the of his «mad old scientist» side. Philippe is younger, but his physique century! It’s a huge thing for a director! Of course, your job and your to show that allows you to show a wealth of experience. He portrays marvelously film stay the same, but this is an amazing acknowledgement from your the deterioration of this character who is haunted by his dream. overseas peers! anything is We looked for the actor who plays Joseph for a few months. Maxime And, as is often the case, being acknowledged elsewhere also allows possible ! Bessonov is quite different from the boy that I had initially imagined. you to be acknowledged at home. I am a director, but also a technician. I was looking for someone with a «lived-in face,» to convey the And this nomination is already greatly changing the way people look character’s difficult past. The young actor’s almost solar physique at my work. I’m no longer a technician who directs... that’s it, I’m a led me to take another direction. We aimed for his acting to portray director! The

What can we hope from you in the future? characteristic

I am currently writing a feature film. Condensing my world into short of humanity is films has always required an enormous amount of work. It’s time that I move on to this format that I think suits me better. to want to go

In my previous projects, I always directed marginal, isolated characters too fast, too far. who are removed from society. This time, I want to talk about my vision of humanity in a more comprehensive manner. I intend to do it through a family, which will be very new to me. By examining up closely within a wider perspective, I wish to talk about what I feel about the world, what it is becoming, and what, I believe, would be preferable. In fact, I’m writing some sort of pre-apocalyptic solution!

More seriously, it will have the theme of this race towards research and «progress.» The characteristic of humanity is to want to go too fast, too far, with the risk of flying too close to the sun. Here, this will result in a global epidemic that will suddenly diminish certain capabilities of the people. A family in crisis must face this contamination and question its survival in a world where human beings may no longer have their place. This film will also touch on the issue of communication: being hyper connected, we have the impression that we’re communicating more and more as we become more and more individualistic.

Being included on the shortlist for the OSCARS® will, I hope, facilitate the development of this first feature film. And of course, it would be great to take Icare all the way to the ceremony. The ultimate dream of every movie director!

At the time of writing Icare’s script, my producer told me that he’d take me to the OSCARS® with this movie if I could fit it into less than 20 minutes. It lasts 27... but it would be «amazing» to succeed in crossing the Atlantic! DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY Nicolas Boucart was born on January 10, 1981 in Tournai. After finishing his film studies at INRACI, the Belgian Film School, in Brussels, he began a career as a scene shifter and cameraman on movie sets. Whilst honing his technical skills in the field, he quickly started to write and direct short fictional films. In 2016, after working as a technician on over fifty short and feature-length films, and having directed three shorts, he devoted himself full-time to writing and directing.

WRITER AND DIRECTOR

2017 Icare 2009 The Lock kepper 2005 Autumn is sad in Summer 2001 Fernand TEAM

Screenplay and directing Nicolas BOUCART Cinematography Hichame ALAOUIE Camera operating Nicolas BOUCART, Hichame ALAOUIE Sound Arnaud CALVAR Art direction Alina SANTOS Costume design and machines props Ronald BEURMS Make up Saori MATSUI Film editing Ewin RYCKAERT, Matyas VERESS Sound editing Sarah GOURET Mixing Aline GAVROY Music Manuel ROLAND

Producers Anthony Rey Fabrice Préel-Cléach PRODUCTION

HÉLICOTRONC OFFSHORE

Hélicotronc is a belgian film production company created in 2002 by Anthony OFFSHORE was founded in 2000 by Fabrice Préel-Cléach and has produced 7 full Rey. The company has since produced over fifty short films, nine feature and features as delegate producer, 2 as executive producer and more than 40 shorts four documentaries. Most of them were widely screened in film festivals (some films internationally awarded. Our choices are guided by human encounters with prestigious ones like Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Rotterdam, Clermont-Ferrand) and on directors and their desires. television (RTBF, Arte, TV5 Monde, France 3). PRODUCERS Among recent titles, quite a few multi-awarded films can be noted, « With Thelma », FABRICE PRÉEL CLÉACH MAGRITTE for best short film 2018, « Vihta », Jury award in Clermont-Ferrand, or « Next year » , feature released in movie theatres in and France in 2015 and Graduated from Ecole Supérieur de Réalisation Audiovisuelle in 1993, Fabrice « As I open my eyes » released in 2016. Préel-Cléach began as production manager with Young and Rubicam. He founded OFFSHORE in 2000, first working as executive producer for foreign shooting in The series « The break », broadcasted on RTBF (Belgian national tv) in February 2016 France, and then as delegate producer with his own projects. was awarded for best frenchspeaking series at SERIES MANIA 2016, alongside with a wide critical and public succes. EMMANUELLE LATOURRETTE The second season has been broadcasted on Belgian TV in fall 2018 and will be Emmanuelle Latourrette graduated as engineer from Mines de Paris in 1993. available on Netflix in 2019. After several years as senior consultant at Deloitte&Touche, she joined Butterfly Productions where she was in charge of project development, and then Offshore as delegate producer. LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM FORMAT : 2K RATIO : 1.85 SOUND : 5.1 LENGHT : 27 min COLOR VO : FR with ENG subtitles YEAR OF PRODUCTION : 2017 TECHNICAL SPECS BELGIUM FRANCE PRODUCTION PRODUCTION

HÉLICOTRONC OFFSHORE Anthony Rey Fabrice Préel Cléach Rue de Suisse 16 18, rue Saint Marc 1060 Bruxelles, Belgium 75002 Paris, France +32 2 539 23 57 Tél : +33 (0)1 75 43 65 00 [email protected] [email protected] www.helicotronc.com www.offshore.fr

SALES PUBLIC RELATIONS

MANIFEST PICTURE THE ANIMATION SHOWCASE Anaïs Colpin Benoit Berthe Siward 25 Rue Corentin Cariou UK : +44 7 455 188 378 75019 Paris FR : +33 6 48 07 98 91 +33 6 20 54 24 30 [email protected] anais@manifestpictures www.AnimationShowcase.com www.manifest.pictures

CONTACTS MAKING OF & TRAILER https://vimeo.com/album/5499389

PRIVATE LINK https://vimeo.com/205363157/1a56d9a465

IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7787810

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/icare.film/

SITE http://www.helicotronc.com/icare-movie

PRODUCTION & SERVICES AUDIO VISUELS