Private Project

Elise

Elise is enclosed in a Nouvelle Vague daydream, through which she intends to overcome personal hardships like the death of her mother, the relationship with her father, and social interaction anxiety. By confronting her own emotions, she realizes that she is only in control of her own reaction to adversity.
Elise is an homage to French Nouvelle Vague, but also a satire of the genre itself. The esthetic is used by Elise, the protagonist, as a coping mechanism for grief, depression, rejection, and loss. After losing her mother, Elise shelters herself in French cinema, this short film portrays the first time she leaves her house since that day, and the challenges, mostly emotional, that she faces during the day.
My intention is to lead the viewer through comedy, to empathize with the distress that some situations, as simple as they may seem, generate for a person with depression, making easier to comprehend, identify and properly treat depression in ourselves or our loved ones.

  • Alejandro Mac Gregor
    Director
    El Último Viaje, Tangente, Turno Nocturno
  • Alejandro Mac Gregor
    Writer
    El Último Viaje, Tangente, Turno Nocturno
  • Alex Camargo
    Producer
    Todo Lo que no Quiero, Tangente, Recorte de presupuesto
  • Aline Alonso
    Key Cast
    "Elise"
  • Manuel Rodríguez
    Key Cast
    "Degoulase"
  • María Elisa Cuarón
    Production Design
    Todo Lo Que No Quiero, Tangente, Animal Sagrado, El Último Viaje
  • Luis Sánchez
    Production Design
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Elise
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 29, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Mexico
  • Country of Filming:
    Mexico
  • Language:
    French, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alejandro Mac Gregor

I am a writer, director, and producer from Queretaro, Mexico. Since I was little I have been passionate about storytelling; in film, I encountered the possibility to exploit this passion.
My filmmaking, as well as my life view is a dichotomy: living is equally beautiful as it is painful, we must find balance between the joy of living and the unbearable responsibility it bestows on us. This is why I define myself as a nihilistic romantic; I do not hold all the answers I seek, but I enjoy the quest to find them.
Since college, I have worked on of music videos, short films, advertising, and feature films, making my career experience over 13 years in all departments of filmmaking.
I have written screenplays for short films like Adelante (Best Cinematography 48 hours film festival, 2016), and directed short films like "Tangente" (Best Cinematography 48 hours film festival, 2014).
I am the Co-founder and Creative Director of Panda Rojo Media, a production company based in Queretaro, that has produced dozens of short films and a couple of feature films.

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Director Statement

Elise is an homage to French Nouvelle Vague, but also a satire of the genre itself. The aesthetic is used by Elise, the protagonist, as a coping mechanism for grief, depression, and loss. After losing her mother, Elise shelters herself in French cinema, this short film portrays the first time she leaves her house and the challenges, mostly emotional, that she faces during the day.
My intention is to lead the viewer through comedy into empathizing with the distress that some situations generate for a person with depression, making easier to comprehend and probably identify and treat depression in ourselves or our loved ones.