Experiencing Interruptions?

By Blood

Once a ruthless war lord who won his land by his sword, Mort-Lieu is now a sick old man. A mysterious knight appears ; Mort-Lieu believes the stranger is Death himself coming to get him. Facing his own end, Mort-Lieu has to confront his legacy.

  • Guillaume Enard
    Director
    Brumes
  • Jonathan Delerue
    Director
  • Guillaume Enard
    Writer
    Brumes
  • Jonathan Delerue
    Writer
  • Matthieu Berenguer
    Producer
  • Emmanuel Hamon
    Producer
    1 tous les 3 jours, Cold Ground
  • Jonathan Delerue
    Producer
  • Guillaume Enard
    Producer
  • Pascal Greggory
    Key Cast
    "Mort-Lieu"
    La Vie en Rose, Queen Margot, The Messenger, Saint-Laurent
  • Anne Charrier
    Key Cast
    "Alienor"
    Paid, Maison Close, Thank You for Calling
  • Jonas Bloquet
    Key Cast
    "Hargrold"
    Elle, The Nun, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
  • Eric Savin
    Key Cast
    "Gerbert"
    Fair Play, Caged, Tell No One
  • François-David Cardonnel
    Key Cast
    "The "Knight""
    Templeton, Dans l'Ombre du Tueur
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Par le Sang
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 57 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 24, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    52,500 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    France
  • Country of Filming:
    France
  • Language:
    French
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Oniros Film Awards
    Aosta
    Italy
    Best Short Film Award - Best Acting Ensemble Award
  • Redline International Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    April 6, 2018
    Best Supporting Actress Award - Best Production Design Award
  • Elephant Rome Film Festival
    Rome
    Italy
    Official Selection
  • European Cinematography AWARDS (ECA)
    Warsaw
    Poland
    Best Film of the Month Award - Best Europe Film Award - Best Director Award - Best Cinematographer Award
  • MedFF
    Siracusa
    Italy
    March 31, 2018
    Finalist / Official Selection
  • St Tropez Film Festival
    Saint Tropez
    France
    Best Short Film Award - Best History/War Film Award - Best Cinematography Award - Best Costume Award
  • Paris Short Film Festival
    Paris
    France
    May 10, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Lake View International Film Festival
    Ludhiana, Punjab
    India
    Best International Short Film Award - Best Director Award - Best Cinematography Award
  • South Film and Arts Academy Festival
    Rancagua
    Chile
    April 16, 2018
    Best Historical Short Film Award - Best Cinematography Award - Best Costume Design Award
  • AAB International Film Festival
    Moga, Punjab
    India
    April 22, 2018
    Best Film of the Month Award
  • Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    April 25, 2018
    Best Film of the Month Award - Best Cinematography Award
  • Enginuity Film Festival
    Charles Town & Las Vegas
    United States
    May 19, 2018
    North American Premiere
    Best Short Film Award - Best Supporting Actor Award (Jonas Bloquet) - Best Costume Award - Best Lighting Award - Best Stunts Award
  • Mind the Indie Film Festival
    Plovdiv
    Bulgaria
    June 9, 2018
    Bulgarian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Gold Movie Awards Goddess Nike
    London
    United Kingdom
    Best Editing Award - Best Scenography Award
  • Top Indie Film Awards

    United States
    April 30, 2018
    Best Director Award / Best Production Design Award
  • Underground Indie Film Festival
    Apopka
    United States
    June 3, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Moving Pictures Festival
    Kalmthout, Antwerp
    Belgium
    June 16, 2018
    Belgium Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Paris Art and Movie Awards, PAMA
    Paris
    France
    June 24, 2018
    Best Director of Photography
  • Berlin Short Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    July 1, 2018
    German Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Bucharest International Film Festival
    Bucharest
    Romania
    June 14, 2018
    Romanian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Spotlight Short Film Awards
    Atlanta
    United States
    Spotlight Gold Award
  • SunSète Festival
    Sète
    France
    July 9, 2018
  • AltFF Alternative Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    June 18, 2018
    Best Film of the Festival Award - Best Period Piece Award
  • Mexico City Independent Film Festival
    Mexico City
    Mexico
    July 5, 2018
    Mencion Honorifica
  • Super Geek Film Festival
    Fort Lauderdale
    United States
    July 12, 2018
  • HollyShorts Film Festival
    Sherman Oaks
    United States
    August 9, 2018
  • Woodengate Film Festival
    Baia Mare
    Romania
    August 11, 2018
    Best Short Film Award - Best Director Award - Best Lead Actor Award (Pascal Greggory) - Best Editor Award
  • Action On Film International Film Festival
    Las Vegas
    United States
    August 16, 2018
  • Oniros Film Awards Annual Event
    Aosta
    Italy
    August 25, 2018
    Italian Premiere
    Best Film of Year Award - Honourable Mention
  • New Renaissance Film Festival (London, UK)
    London
    United Kingdom
    August 23, 2018
    Best Actor in an International Film Award (Pascal Greggory)
  • Underground Cinema Film Festival
    Dublin
    Ireland
    September 1, 2018
    Ireland Premiere
    Best International Short Film Award
  • Toronto Independent Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    September 7, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Miami Independent Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    September 9, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Ciudad del Este Independent Film Festival
    Ciudad del Este Independent Film Festival
    Paraguay
    September 19, 2018
    Paraguay Premiere
    Official Selection
  • International Short Film Festival in Drama
    Drama
    Greece
    September 16, 2018
    Greece Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Pondicherry International Film Festival 2018
    Pondicherry
    India
    September 26, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Västerås Filmfestival
    Västerås Filmfestival
    Sweden
    October 5, 2018
    Sweden Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Lake Charles Film & Music Festival
    Lake Charles
    United States
    October 5, 2018
    Best Foreign Film Award
  • San Jose International Short Film Festival
    San Jose
    United States
    October 11, 2018
    Official Selection
  • 7th Delhi International Film Festival 2018, New Delhi
    New Delhi
    India
    October 14, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Cardiff International Film Festival
    Cardiff
    United Kingdom
    October 19, 2018
    Wales Premiere
    Best Foreign Language Film Finalist
  • Feel the Reel International Film Festival
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    October 23, 2018
    Best of the Fest Award - Best Director Award - Best Screenplay Award - Best Actor Award (Pascal Greggory) - Best Cinematography Award - Best Music Award
  • International Short Film Festival SFF
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 26, 2018
    Official Selection
  • TMFF - The Monthly Film Festival
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    November 1, 2018
    Best Film of the Month Award - Best Actor Award (Pascal Greggory) - Best Original Score Award - Best Editor Award
  • Short Long World Festival, Corrientes, Argentina
    Corrientes
    Argentina
    November 8, 2018
    Argentinian Premiere
    Best Narrative Short Film Award
  • Liverpool International Film Festival 2018
    Liverpool
    United Kingdom
    November 9, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Hollywood Forever Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    November 10, 2018
    Best Short Film Award - Best Actor Award (Jonas Bloquet) - Best Actress Award (Anne Charrier) - Best Set Design Award
  • International Short Film Festival Beveren
    Beveren
    Belgium
    November 23, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Short Stop International Film Festival
    Iasi
    Romania
    December 11, 2018
    2nd Best Short Award - Best Actress Award (Anne Charrier) - Best Original Score Award - Best Editor Award
  • California International Shorts Festival
    Encino, CA
    United States
    December 15, 2018
    Best Foreign Short Award
  • Canada Shorts - Canadian & International Short Film Fest.
    St John
    Canada
    December 15, 2018
    Official Selection
  • São Paulo Film Festival
    Sao Paulo Film Festival
    Brazil
    December 11, 2018
    Brazilian Premiere
    Best Cinematography Award
  • The Grand Budapest Film Festival
    Budapest
    Hungary
    January 17, 2019
    Hungarian Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Guillaume Enard, Jonathan Delerue

GUILLAUME ENARD - Director.
Born in Paris, Guillaume studies filmmaking at the Ecole Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle, where he directs his first short Correction starring the famous French actor Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu.

After graduating, he spends the next 10 years working as editor and sound editor on several TV series and feature films such as L’Affaire Dreyfus, Jean Moulin, Dieu Que les Femmes Sont Amoureuses or Una Pura Formalita, collaborating with such famous French directors as Yves Boisset, Magali Clement or Guiseppe Tornatore.

In 2004, Guillaume becomes a full time script writer. He writes, adapts for the screen and supervises the writing of many TV properties such as Marvel’s Iron Man, Casper, Spirou et Fantasio, Invisible Man, Le Marsupilami, Baskup Tony Parker, Trolls of Troy, Plankton Invasion, Mini Ninjas, My Giant Friend, etc.

Meanwhile he directs Brumes, awarded at the L.A. Screamfest Horror Film Festival and the Ravenna Nightmare Film Festival, and broadcasted many times on Universal’s network 13ème Rue. Then, Guillaume writes several feature films such as the monster movie Unleashed and the animated feature Kitty. Then, Guillaume develops the dystopian TV Series Asile – Le Monde d’Après with Room 237, the supernatural adventure drama Desolacion with producer Michel Ruben and director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego. Following that, Guillaume also adapts as a TV Series the English thriller best-seller Until You’re Mine for the production company Banijay.

Presently, Guillaume is finishing writing the comedy En Vert et Contre Tous for Tigerfish production company. Now that his new short Par le Sang is completed, he’s beginning to develop his feature film projects with his co-director Jonathan Delerue.

JONATHAN DELERUE - Director
Graduate of the Emile Cohl School of Art in 2004, Jonathan hones his skills as a storyboard artist working for the most part on the “French Frayeurs” film collection such as Frontière(s), Mutants, La Traque and Vertiges.

Rapidly, Jonathan lends his pen and talent to prestigious French production companies, working frequently with Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp (Colombiana, Taken 2, Taken 3, 3 Days to Kill, and the forthcoming Koursk…), Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2 (Gibraltar, Paradise Lost), academy award winner Thomas Langman (Vanikoro), Alain Goldman’s Légende Films (La French, HHhH), Jericho Films (Radin, Rémi Sans Famille), and also Why Not Productions’ Jackie… He just completed storyboarding Alain Chabat’s Santa & Cie, and Jean-François Richet’s L’Empereur de Paris…

Currently, Jonathan is moving on to making films with his short Par le Sang, which is the spearhead project to be followed with feature films with his co-writer and co-director Guillaume Enard.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As filmmakers we are fascinated with The Dark Ages. Back then, human life was worthless, social and politic life were based on inequality and absolutely devoid of ethics and morals as we understand them today. The right to be, to bear your name and to breath to the venerable age of 40 are the main rewards of a daily fight. Death, also known as La Carnade in France, is one reality that everyone share : Peasants, Kings, Soldiers, Men of God and Heretics as well. The weakest fights a losing battle while the strongest finds in Death a way to rise socially. Our main character, the Lord of Mort-Lieu is one of the latter. Born an illegitimate child, he won his name and his land by his sword. Angry and revengeful, resolved to prove his worth, Mort-Lieu is a man of his time, a ruthless man. Until now…

The lord of war is now a sick old man. As he stares into Death's eyes he learns about fear. A mysterious knight appears and Mort-Lieu believes he is the grim Reaper himself coming to get him. In the fading twilight of his life Mort-Lieu picks his ultimate and already lost fight, and feels the need to look back at what he has accomplished. What is his legacy ? His castle built on a rocky spear ? His legitimate and despicable son who never experienced the rush of fighting and bloodshed ? The bastard emblems that cover his coat of arms ? Facing none other than himself, it is now with his last duel that Mort-Lieu understands the value of life.

To capture our vision of the Dark Ages on film and increase Mort-Lieu’s distress, we think of PAR LE SANG as a medieval western. Scenography and weaponry of this time allow us to enhance our story’s themes with a strong visual signature, they extend our characters’ psychological depth to the point where violence is the way of showing how they feel. PAR LE SANG is a touching and universal tale which allows us to show how the awareness of death encourage us to live. It’s about the end of an era, Heredity and Redemption, and the final stand off is the metaphoric resolution for the eternal father and son conflict.

Because Mort-Lieu is a cornered man we keep him caught between a rock and a hard place, stuck in his armor and entrapped in the frame. It is significant to us that the audience embraces our hero’s realization : he can not hide away from his fate. With the idea of strengthening Mort-Lieu’s suffering, the mysterious knight is always seen from his point of view, as an enigma that we will solve with him throughout the film. Mort-Lieu’s last journey is the guiding thread that links all of our narrative and artistic choices.

We are not women and men of the Dark Ages ; nevertheless, there is a bit of Mort-Lieu in each of us.