Produced by a team of students from Cinécréatis Nantes, *My Shooting Star* is a dramatic short film that aims to blend the road movie genre, a family chronicle and a poetic world. The story follows Alison, a single mother struggling with her heroin addiction and the imminent loss of custody of her son, Jarvis. Together with Vicky, her lifelong friend, she sets off on the run.
On the road, Jarvis talks of his dream of watching a shower of shooting stars. This prospect quickly becomes the new goal of the journey: to reach a beach where mother and son can gaze at the sky together.
But behind this getaway lies a much darker reality. Vicky gradually realises the full extent of the situation and understands that Alison is trying to evade the authorities. As the journey progresses, however, the three characters experience moments of closeness and light-heartedness. A diabetic episode suffered by Jarvis, however, serves as a stark reminder of the responsibilities Alison is no longer able to cope with.
The journey then becomes as much an emotional one as a physical one. Vicky and Alison delve back into their teenage memories, whilst Jarvis gradually grows closer to his godmother. This growing bond makes Alison realise that she risks losing her place in her own son’s life. The situation reaches breaking point when Alison, alone in the bathroom, is about to take another dose of heroin. Vicky discovers her and realises she can no longer stand by and watch her self-destruction.
Through Alison, *My Shooting Star* seeks to explore the consequences of dependency on human relationships. The film does not seek to judge its main character or to excuse her actions, but rather to foster a sense of understanding and compassion. A key aim is to explore the boundary between love, dependency and toxicity within a mother-son relationship.
This approach is also reflected in a visual style centred on contrast. The camera will alternate between static shots and handheld shots to convey the instability of the relationships between the characters. Landscapes will play a significant role, as will the characters’ faces, to show them at times confined within their environment, and at other times confronted by its vastness.
The project’s aesthetic draws heavily on several decades of American cinema and popular culture. The 1960s, 1970s and 1990s blend together to create a deliberately fantastical, nostalgic and slightly offbeat world. The car, the motel and the various decorative elements are all designed to contribute to this road movie feel. The team is particularly keen to use a vintage car, with a specific interest in a Chevrolet Corvair.
Music also plays a central role in the project. Director Lúka Ouvrard has composed several original tracks, including ‘Shooting Star’, which is intended to serve as a musical letter from Alison to her son. The song expresses her love for Jarvis whilst helping him come to terms with the idea of a necessary separation.
With over 60 crew members, three lead actors, two composers and eight days of filming planned, the project relies on a substantial team.
With *My Shooting Star*, the team aims to tell an intimate and painful story whilst maintaining a sense of tenderness. A film about dependence, but above all about love, responsibility and the difficult realisation that letting someone go can sometimes be the most important thing one can do for them.
