Against my will

Valérie, a successful woman, happy in her couple, has left her consulting firm to open a very popular restaurant. Unfortunately, her life is suddenly turned upside down when the second lockdown of the French population was announced. At the end of her rope, psychologically exhausted and financially weakened, Valérie is now on the edge of the precipice. With no lifeline on the horizon and as she retreats into herself, she slowly succumbs to an insidious addiction much to the dismay of those close to her.

  • Nils Lane
    Director
  • Nils Lane
    Writer
  • Nils Lane
    Producer
  • Lydie Misiek
    Key Cast
    "Valérie"
  • Simon Gagnage
    Key Cast
    "Marc"
  • Guillemette Dumont
    Key Cast
    "The therapist"
  • Maiya Sinclair
    Key Cast
    "Phoebe"
  • Valérie Enquin
    Key Cast
    "Valérie's mother"
  • Soledad Martin
    Key Cast
    "Valérie's sister"
  • Benjamin Chouchan
    Key Cast
    "Laurent"
  • Amandine Bataille
    Key Cast
    "The policewoman"
  • Nils Lane
    Key Cast
    "The policeman"
  • Fréderic Remblière
    Key Cast
    "Male staff"
  • Océane Saulnier
    Key Cast
    "The client"
  • Katia Bardy
    Key Cast
    "Woman staff"
  • Mathieu Vernaison
    Assistant Directors
  • Nawal Zouak
    Assistant Directors
  • Alexandra Battereau
    Script and Continuity Department
  • Arthur Doué
    Music
    Personae
  • Julien Streiff
    Sound Department
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Contre ma volonté
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes 29 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 16, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    1,500 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    France
  • Country of Filming:
    France
  • Language:
    French
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Golden Short Film Festival
    Rome
    Italy
    Best Drama, Best Producer Finalist, Best Screenplay Finalist and Best Soundtrack Finalist
  • Montreal Independent Film Festival
    Montreal
    Canada
    Best Actress
  • Vesuvius International Film Fest
    Naples
    Italy
    Best Original Score
  • Oniros Film Awards
    New-York
    United States
    Best Drama, Best Actress, Best Short Film Finalist and Best Movie Poster Finalist
  • RED Movie Awards
    Reims
    France
    Honorable Mention for Best Actress
  • Best Film Awards
    London
    United Kingdom
    Best Actress and Best Actor
  • Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Best Foreign Short
  • New Jersey Film Awards
    N/A
    United States
    Best Actress and Best Movie Poster
  • Paris Film Festival
    Paris
    France
    Best Drama and Best Editing
  • Toronto Monthly Film Awards
    Toronto
    Canada
    Best Actress and Honorable Mention for Best Short Film
  • Europe Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    Best Editing
  • Reale Film Festival
    Milan
    Italy
    Best Realistic Film
  • Around International Film Festival - Paris
    Paris
    France
    ARFF Audience Award
  • 1st Monthly FIlm Festival
    Belgrade
    Serbia
    Best Short Film, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production, Best Sound Design, Best Editing, Best Poster and Best Trailer
  • Berlin Flash Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    Best Short Film
  • Rome Independent Prisma Awards
    Rome
    Italy
    Official Selection
  • BARCIFF • Barcelona Indie Filmmakers Festival
    Barcelona
    Spain
    Official Selection and Best Actress and Best Director nominations
  • London International Monthly Film Festival
    London
    Best Acting
  • Florence Film Awards
    Florence
    Italy
    Honorable Mention for Best Actress
  • New York Movie Awards
    New-York
    United States
    Best Actress and Honorable Mention for Best Indie Short Film
  • Milan Gold Awards
    Milan
    Italy
    Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Producer, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, 2nd Best Original Screenplay, 2nd Best Editing, 2nd Best Sound Design
  • Kosice International Monthly Film Festival
    Kosice
    Slovakia
    Honorable Mention for Thriller Screenplay
  • Prague International Monthly Film Festival
    Prague
    Czech Republic
    Official Selection
  • European Cinematography AWARDS (ECA)
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    Best Drama
  • Bristol International Film Festival
    Bristol
    United States
    Best Actress
  • Screen Power Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    Best Actress Winner, Best International Short Film Nominee and Best Sound Nominee
  • Auber International Film Festival
    Aubervilliers
    France
    Official Selection
  • WILDsound FEEDBACK Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    Best Short Film
  • SHORT to the Point
    Brașov
    Romania
    Official Selection
  • Global Indie Film Fest
    Glascow
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
  • Bucharest ShortCut Cinefest
    Bucharest
    Romania
    Best Original Score Winner and Best Actress Nominee
  • Varese International Film Festival
    Varese
    Italy
    Best Original Score
  • Indigo Moon Film Festival
    Fayetteville
    United States
    Official Selection
  • SMR13 - Festival du Film Indépendant
    Saint-Mitre les Remparts
    France
    November 19, 2021
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Nils Lane

After making his first short-film out of passion in 2005 at the age of 19, Nils Lane then devoted himself to his engineering studies and his professional career.
Fifteen years later, he decides to immerse himself entirely in the cinematographic universe he has liked so much since his earliest childhood. A multitasking man, he takes care of the screenwriting, the directing and all the other stages of his self-financed productions.

He likes to write and direct his films with one thing in mind "Nothing is what it seems". Indeed, there is one point where he makes no concessions : the story. This is the foundation for any movie and for him, if it is badly prepared, it will be felt throughout the rest of the film. This is why he spends a lot of time on the writing and especially on the part where he will surprise the viewers. This leads him to enjoy the science fiction and fantasy genres but he enjoys amazing the audience in drama or thriller as well.

Living in one of the most beautiful cities of the world, Paris, he thrives on its film sets to beautify his fictions. Yet, a good story and beautiful decors are not enough for Nils Lane. The acting is the part that gives life to his stories and he can be demanding with his cast. But one of the parts where he is the most uncompromising is without contest the post-production. Even if he is still a beginner at it, editing, sound mixing, color grading and all the other post-production parts are completely and strictly managed end to end by him.

His goal is to one day be the screenwriter and director of a produced feature-length motion picture. In the meantime, he is preparing many short films projects (drama, thriller and sci-fi) but also a web series about social and emotional relationships in our generation.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Even though this story is a fiction, it was written from real events experienced or told by those very close to me. My own experience with lockdowns is also infused into the storyline.
It is indeed this common experience lived by many people that inspired me to write a story describing the slow downfall of a person affected by the deprivation of freedom that destroys her psychologically. I also wanted to explore the consequences on her married, family and professional life.

Based on what happened in France in November 2020, the story was written in December 2020, shot in January 2021 and the post-production took place until April 2021 to deliver the movie in the heat of the moment as the subject is very contemporary.
Due to their very recent experience of such events, many people will find themselves in one or more of the characters portrayed in this short film.