with its magnificent Five demons (Official Fantàstic Competition), screenwriter and director Lea Mysius belongs to the wave of young French filmmakers who pursue their auteur ambitions without ignoring the codes of the fantastic. In France, barriers were softened and naturalism was loosened to let the magic breathe, Mysius explains. We want to express the world in a different way and bring back the magic.
Her story, rich with secrets and scents, may evoke Crudo, the work by Julia Ducournau that earned multiple prizes at Sitges in 2016 for its condensed realism. Mysius agrees with this characterization, adding that she aimed to present a girl’s point of view. She wanted to reveal the wonder that surrounds children who blend reality with dreams. Cinema, she says, should illuminate the wizarding world. There is a real world to know, yet dreams and fantasies exist as well.
David Lynch as Compass
The girl at the center of the film is Vicky, portrayed by Sally Drama, with a biracial identity and a bond to her mother Joanne, a lifeguard played by Adèle Exarchopoulos. The father, Jimmy, a firefighter played by Mustafa Mbengue, struggles to find his passion for Joanne. After Aunt Julia enters the story, Sally embarks on an unexpected journey through family history and the roots of an event that left its mark on their mountain town.
It would be a crime to reveal more plot details. Among the film’s notable achievements, Mysius notes a slow, clever release of information intended to sustain the mystery. She admired David Lynch’s approach, observing that he dispenses a lot of information through careful editing and selective revelation. Her editor, Marie Loustalot, and she treated the story like a large Jenga game, removing pieces to prevent the tower from collapsing.
Scents that Bring Images
Sensory perception is a personal obsession for Mysius. Her first feature, Ava (2017), centers on a thirteen-year-old girl preparing for blindness. The filmmaker sought a cinema with a strong physical presence, where emotion could be conveyed through sight. Fragrance, though less visually obvious, can also trigger vivid images. Mysius smiles and muses about Odorama, a nod to John Waters’ Polyester premiere in 1981.
Ava was not released widely in cinemas, but audiences had the chance to see The Ghosts of Ismael and Paris, 13th District, works written by Mysius and screened alongside respected figures in the field. Desplechin sought a screenwriter through the French national film school, La Fémis. After tests, Mysius was selected. A subsequent opportunity arose thanks to a positive response to Ava and to word-of-mouth recommendations. She notes a dual life: one where she works on projects for herself and another where she collaborates with other directors, all while staying true to her voice.