"The Stars": plunging into darkness to find the light again
Directed by Élisa Gilles and Énora Blanchet, The Stars is a narrative and psychedelic clip created for the band Melatonin. In three minutes of poetic images and visual intensity, the film explores the inner struggle of an androgynous character suffering from depression. Through a dreamlike, symbolic universe, the directors approach mental health with a rare sensitivity, blending emotional realism and visual experimentation.
A work about unhappiness and resilience
In their statement of intent, Élisa and Énora explain that they wanted to “represent what the people concerned feel and how this malaise manifests itself in their lives, so that they feel heard and understood”.
The character of K., deliberately neutral and universal, becomes a mirror for the audience: her androgynous appearance and her first name reduced to an initial allow everyone to identify with her. K.’s evolution from darkness to a form of appeasement is supported by a staging in which light, colour and movement embody the protagonist’s states of mind.
A strong, experimental visual language
The clip’s visual universe is based on a collage aesthetic: a process that allows different graphic elements to be blended into the image to convey the character’s mental torment. This hybrid approach, inspired by the visual arts, gives life to a distorted, anxiety-inducing reality that reflects K’s malaise.
The directors use contrasting colour schemes, with dark, bluish tones for the sequences of despair, soft, diffused light for those of hope, and a fluid, contemplative camera, in tune with the slow, introspective tempo of the music.
A close-knit, committed team
The project mobilised a young and passionate technical team:
- Director: Élisa Gilles & Énora Blanchet
- 1st assistant director: Paul Aronica
- Production manager: Simon Cantarutti
- Cinematographer: Enora Blanchet
- Gaffer: Clémence Chevalier
- Head grip: Charlotte Ampilhac
- Camera manager: Lilian Romero
- Performance: Lohan Chassin
The shoot took place between Lyon, Paris and Mont Aiguille, using professional equipment: Sony Alpha 7III camera, Samyang VDSLR MK2 lenses, LED projectors, Zhiyun stabiliser and Astera Titan kit for the lighting effects.
An ambitious and sensitive school project
Behind its music video form, The Stars is a truly introspective work of cinema, in which technique serves raw emotion. With its inventive visual approach and deeply human subject matter, Énora Blanchet and Élisa Gilles’ film is part of a sincere artistic endeavour: to make the invisible visible, and to give a voice to those who struggle in silence.