00:07Imagine you're an artist. Maybe you're a painter, or maybe a drummer, or maybe you're
00:23a cam operator, or the greatest physicist of Amel. Now imagine it's all taken away.
00:37This is the life of Amel.
00:45Amel is a middle-aged French artist who was diagnosed with motor neuron disease.
00:49Because of this, he is very depressed and grumpy all the time, which is only amplified by the fact
00:55that he can only communicate through his eye movements. He knows that the disease guarantees
00:59an abrupt end to his life, so he spends his days jarring out his thoughts by watching TV.
01:05On the other hand is Amel's younger sister, Agnes. Agnes is the yin to his yang, and has a very
01:10jubilant and playful personality. She has a much more positive outlook on life, and treats Amel
01:16in a way that breaks the barrier between them, which is the disease.
01:22Agnes arrives at Amel's home in the morning after a week-long business trip.
01:26She is saddened by the sight of many of his old paintings collecting dust, and Amel slouched over
01:31in his wheelchair watching TV. She ends up deciding to take him out of the house, and they end up
01:36going
01:36to a park that he hasn't been to in a long time. As Agnes pushes Amel through the park, he
01:41is hit
01:41with dozens of flashbacks of the different paintings he crafted there. This ensues a
01:46montage where we watch Amel in his prime, dabbing his brushes and filling his canvases. The montage
01:52then takes a turn for the worse when the disease starts to progress in Amel's body, first immobilizing
01:57him, then preventing his ability to execute his techniques, and eventually taking away the strength
02:04to hold his paintbrushes. This brings the montage to a halt, when Amel then sees a child jarring by a
02:09bench. This reminds him of when he was young, first finding his passion for art and drawing whatever
02:16his crazy mind could think of. The child then walks up to Amel and hands him the drawing,
02:22a depiction of the park with Amel and his sister amongst all of its beauty.
02:30I was inspired to make this film by many different pieces of media. This includes the film Up for its
02:36touching story about human connection and how it's never too late to cherish the moments we have with
02:40the people around us. The film The Theory of Everything for its deep dive into a life with
02:46motor neurone disease and how it can affect the patient's outlook on life and relationships with
02:50loved ones. The game Detroit Become Human, specifically a storyline with a disabled artist named Carl
02:57and his relationship with his android that takes care of him. And finally, the shows Breaking Bad and
03:03Better Call Saul which depict a man being forced to communicate in irregular ways due to his paralysis.
03:11Ever since taking Paul's cinematography classes, I have loved the idea of each frame being a painting,
03:16so I want to show the visual style of this film that way, taking inspiration from actual paintings
03:21and also inspiration from the film At Eternity's Gate which uses color and contrast in a way that makes
03:28the screen pop just like Van Gogh's paintings. But of course, the reason this story matters to me,
03:36and why I think it should matter to you too, is because in this time where political tensions are high
03:41and conflict is everywhere to be seen, we need more stories that uplift and encourage people.
03:47Stories that remind us about the beauty of life and its many wonders to behold. And I aim to try
03:53and
03:53accomplish that with l'art de vivre. Having the art of life being how humans have a choice on how
03:58to live
03:59their life, and how we are capable of facing and overcoming challenges as tough as these life
04:04threatening diseases. I thank you all for your undivided attention, and wish you all good luck.
04:11For more information, visit us for more information.
04:18Please visit us at our website at www.gmail.com.ca
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