Feature Film AFIN 096
Fires in the Dark
Directed by 
Dominique Lienhard
AFIN 2021 Nominee
- 2021
- 1h 30m
-
France - French
Stills
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Credits
Written by
Synopsis
In a small 17th century village nestled between the sea and the mountains, fifteen year-old Alan is suddenly forced to begin supporting his mother and siblings after his father sells himself for two years of indentured servitude in an attempt to keep the family from starving. While stoking the village’s all-important fire during the night, he will learn what it takes to survive and discover the true purpose of the bonfire’s ritualistic guardianship.
Director's Statement
“Fires in the dark” is a kind of fantasy in the past. It takes place somewhere in Europe around the seventeenth century. It’s not an accurate historical drama; it’s rather a tale or a legend. I began to think about the movie eight years ago, after having read a Japanese novel by Akira Yoshimura, called “Shipwrecks”. I was haunted by the main character, a young boy, by his courage and by the last lines of the novel … So I began to write and rewrite the story. Gradually, it changes quite a bit, the main character, Alan, is now about 15 years old, is much more active than the boy in the novel and he’s fighting against the laws of the village and of the Gods. Eventually, I had the chance to shoot the movie in Corsica, a beautiful French Island. I really enjoyed this part of making the film. I loved working with my team, with Pascale Marin, the woman chief photographer - by the way, more than half of the team was women -. I loved working the actors, with Ana Girardot, with Igor Van Dessel, a promising Belgian young actor. And I loved Corsica, where I could found what I was looking for: a little village nestled between the sea and the mountain.
What makes this one special
- 13 awards at other festivalsSevilla Independent Film Festival · Antwerpen IFF · Boden International Film Festival and 10 more
- Programmed at 28 other festivalsAcross 14 countries
- Nominated for Best Feature Film
Also selected at
13 awards, 2 nominations, 13 official selections across 28 other festivals
- WinnerSevilla Independent Film Festival
- WinnerAntwerpen IFF
- WinnerBoden International Film Festival
- WinnerBreckenridge Film Festival
- WinnerBritish Independent Film Festival
- WinnerBuenos Aires International Film Festival
- WinnerFootcandle International Film Festival
- WinnerInternational Thai Film Festival
- WinnerJaipur International Film Festival
- WinnerJane Austen International Film Festival
- WinnerLas Vegas International Film and Screenwriting Festival
- WinnerNew Dehli International Film Festival
- WinnerRiverrun IFF
- NomineeBeaufort International Film Festival
- NomineeMarbella International Film Festival
- SelectionChichester Internation Film Festival
- SelectionFic Author Gualdalarajy
- SelectionFilmFestival Kitzbühel
- SelectionFive Lakes Internation Film Festival
- SelectionInternational New York Film Festival
- SelectionIschia International Film Festival
- SelectionJeong Ju International Film Festival
- SelectionJulien Dubuque IFF
- SelectionPhoenix Film Festival
The remaining 4 festivals
- SelectionRhodes Island International Film Festival
- SelectionRising Sun Internation Film Festival
- SelectionTiburon International Film Festival
- SelectionRome Independent Film Festival
Recorded by the filmmaker on their entry.
Director's Biography
Dominique Lienhard Director
2001: short-film "The breakfast" ("le petit déjeuner") 2006: 1st. Feature film "Müetter" 2020: 2nd Feature film "Fires in the dark" ("Des feux dans la nuit")
Trailer
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Fires in the Dark was an official Nominee for Best Feature Film at the AFIN International Film Festival 2021, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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