Céline Roustan
In a world where the air has become unbreathable, wiping out all human life, two strangers survive – ascuba diver and a woman whorelies on an oxygen tank.With their individual supplies of breathable air running out, will they join forces or will their survival instinct pit them against one another? In La couleur de tes lèvres (The Colour of your Lips) writer/director Annick Blanc uses oneirism and esotericism to create a world where she confronts her two characterswith theirmost primal instincts and fears.
Crafting a dreamlike and engaging narrative, without a single line of dialogue through its gripping 18-minute runtime, The Colour of your Lips is a film with rare subtlety, but an impressive amount of detail. There is so much to pay attention to inBlanc’s short that you’ll feel the urgeto pauseeach individualframe to examine it closeror initiatean immediate second viewing to catch everything. I strongly recommend choosing thesecond option.
As the diver reenters the world from his submerged protection we’re instantly immersed in the catastrophic event central to the film
In order to freely explore the relationship between her protagonists, without having to answer to the practicality of our reality, Blanc knew she had to create a whole new universe for her story to unravel in. By doing this, she not onlysaves precious time by not having to explain thecircumstances that caused the apocalyptic event, but aims the focus of her film solely on the man and woman, and how they navigate their new reality.
“What do we do when all is lost?”
The structure of the film allows the audience to reflect ona question that was forefront in Blanc’s mind when writingThe Colour of your Lips –“What do we do when all is lost?” The first part of her short provides a sensitive exposition, as we meet the diver and quicklyrealise that he might be theonlysurvivorleft onthe Earth. Which makes the second part feel all the sweeter, as he meetsa woman and theyinstantly build a rapport, fueled by their situation.
With that aforementioned dialogue-free approach, Blanc depicts the need for human company beautifully on-screen, with the pair finding solace in one another, allemotion portrayed just through the looks they exchange (behind diving goggles and breathing masks).Things take a downward turn in the finalact though,as desperation pushes our characters to survival selfishness and we’reforced toreflect on an uncomfortable thought… what would we have done in their shoes?
Shot in HD, grain was added to the grade to compliment the fable-like tone of the film
Blanc and her DP Derek Branscombe (who also shot S/W feature GasCan) not only bring the depth of the narrativeto the screen with their creative vision, they also work to immerse the audience in their lyrical universe. The short’s color palette, paired with thedesolate landscapes, immediately creates the atmosphereand emptiness of an ecological catastrophe and though the film was shot in HD, they added grain tocompliment the fable-like tone of the film.
Every single frameinThe Colour of your Lips isgorgeous, but they also contain clues that piece together to help builda strange vibe that feels contagious. When humans or human activity are on camera, all of a sudden the frame feels overcrowded, echoing how suffocating the air is, but also mirroring a culture ofexcess that could have easily led to the fictional catastrophe.
The visuals don’t have to do all the heavy-lifting when it comes to tone and atmosphere though, as whileBlanc’s film may lack conversation, it uses sound (or a lack of it) to add to the authenticity of the world. Featuring a subdued score, the constant soundtrack to the film is the steady breathing of its two lead characters, which leads to not only provide an insight into their fragile state of mind but also helps to drive the film with a rhythmic, persistent pacing.
Part of the esteemed Travelling Distribution catalogue, The Colour of your Lips was quitethe hit on the festival circuit, picking up awards at Fantastic Festand Regard,while also being nominated at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards. Director Annick Blanc is already an established filmmaker, with this her third short as director, she has alsoproduced over a dozenfilms, and with producer Maria Gracia Turgeon, she co-foundedMidi La Nuit– the production company behind previously featured and Academy Award nominated shortsBrotherhood &Fauve. She now plans on filming her feature-lengthdebut,Grand Nord, in October 2021.
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