D'une journée ordinaire

Inspired by the early works of Chantal Akerman, the film provides insight into the everyday life of a mother. But is what we see truly real?

The film was shot in Basel, Switzerland, and Efringen-Kirchen, Germany, in July 2025.

  • Lars Kemnitz
    Director
    SWIM, La robe rouge, Bits + Pieces, La femme disparue, The Scarecrow
  • Lars Kemnitz
    Writer
    SWIM, La robe rouge, Bits + Pieces, La femme disparue, The Scarecrow
  • Lars Kemnitz
    Producer
    SWIM, La robe rouge, Bits + Pieces, La femme disparue, The Scarecrow
  • Michèle Bielser
    Key Cast
    "Woman"
    La robe rouge
  • Lars Kemnitz
    Sound
    SWIM, La robe rouge, Bits + Pieces, La femme disparue, The Scarecrow
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Experimental
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 30, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    500 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany, Switzerland
  • Language:
    French
  • Shooting Format:
    Super 8
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Neuchâtel Super 8 Film Festival
    Neuchâtel
    Switzerland
    October 17, 2025
    Official World Premiere
Director Biography - Lars Kemnitz

Lars Kemnitz (b 1988) is a visual artist and creative director based in Hamburg, Germany. Since he discovered his passion for photography at university in the late 2000s, he has continually been shaping and developing his own visual language and vision. Today he also experiments with the medium of film which seems natural as his fascination for cinema has always served as a major source of inspiration; it reflects in his work when he blends cinematic story-telling with fashion, documentary and art influences to explore topics mostly dealing with the imaginative, the mystical, the cryptic, the suggestive and the subconscious.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“D’une journée ordinaire” was created as a collaboration between Michèle Bielser and myself. Our intention was to make a film that sheds light on the seemingly unspectacular everyday life of a woman and mother—and to do so in an equally understated way, inspired by the early experimental works of Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman.

Michèle had become a mother just a year prior, and her perspective deeply shapes the film. What may appear, on the surface, as a time of great joy and fulfillment—motherhood—is in reality often marked by stress and exhaustion. The demands of daily life place a heavy burden on mothers, yet this reality is rarely portrayed with honesty in conventional film and television narratives. Instead, we tend to see extremes: either the idealized “supermother” who manages everything effortlessly, or total breakdown. The nuances in between are often missing.

With this film, we sought to approach this reality with a sense of humor and a certain conceptual rigor. The deliberate contrast between image and sound opens up a space of ambiguity: it remains unclear which layer reflects reality and which might exist only in the protagonist’s mind. We intentionally leave these interpretations open, inviting the audience to reflect.

For Michèle, this is a deeply personal film—not only because it draws from her own lived experience, but also because she herself performs the role of the protagonist. For me, it was a special collaboration with a dear friend and a rewarding experiment that has added a new dimension to my filmmaking practice.

The film was created for the Super 8 Film Festival in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where it premiered in October 2025.