COMET Films

February, 1871. On the eve of the Paris Commune, Rose Beuret, Auguste Rodin's life partner, is alone in the studio. As Rodin is away, she is in charge of one of his unfinished sculptures – clay must stay moist every day. To forget her solitude, Rose takes refuge in the daily care of this mute, incomplete piece. While revolt is rumbling outside, Rose locks herself in the studio and devotes herself entirely to the statue.

In a remote location, Léo and Nicolas are creating Vivarium, a video game that strangely mirrors the environment where they struggle to live together. The game depicts the decay of a house that unsettlingly resembles their own. As they grapple with the scale of the task, cohabitation becomes increasingly strained. The challenging creative process heightens tensions, putting their partnership to the test.

Franck is a soldier. He watches the streets of Paris. But one day, Franck decides to leave.

My family have begun to forget their Egyptian roots and, on asking my grandmother Malo to recount the first part of her life in Cairo, I am confronted by the memories of an exiled Arabic woman, lost in a troubled sea of memories, soon to be erased by the passage of time. I start a tour to trace her steps and understand who she is, and therefore who we are. An Egypt appears where her past, my imaginings and the present Heliopolis mix together as night falls.

The film captures the meanderings and encounters of players striving to survive on an island and within the confines of their rooms. A persistent question lingers: will the rain ever arrive? The game spaces remain elusive, existing beyond the boundaries of our interactions. The interface transforms into a unique universe, a realm of worldwide social interaction reminiscent of a real-time film experience.