Ava

Synopsis

“The opening scene of Léa Mysius debut feature Ava is one of those artfully casual, life-filled tableaux that you could watch forever: On a crowded French beach, in one crammed frame laid out like a colorful 1970s postcard, a dozen little scenarios play out among the sunbathing holiday-makers. Each beach towel marks a tiny feudal territory. Overweight couples rub suntan lotion into generous flesh. These are not the leggy models and neat hotel parasols of the Cote d’Azur; a beach for local families. Even so, despite all the busyness, the camera spies a black dog, apparently belonging to no one, cantering through the crowd and alighting on a young girl dozing in the sun. She wakes with a start and stares at the beast with unusual eyes. It’s the blackness of the dog you notice, so black it’s almost featureless. It’s negative space — a dog-shaped hole in the world. And that’s how it must appear to the girl, Ava (Noée Abita), an unsmiling 13-year old who will shortly discover that her retinitis pigmentosa has advanced more quickly than expected and she will soon go blind. Mysius’ startlingly assured, exquisitely shot Ava is a film that doesn’t simply explore the textural possibilities of 35mm film for the hell of it, it makes thematic use of them, to stunning, evocative effect. (…)” (Jessica Kiang)

Around The World in 14 Films 2017, presented by Helene Hegemann – in attendance of directress Léa Mysius and actress Noée Abita

With the support of Agentur Britta Imdahl

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