Hope

​We first had the idea of this short film when becoming aware of some alarming social reality– the fact that drug use amongst young people has become rather commonplace. Though programs to prevent drug abuse are numerous, the number of teenage smokers keeps rising. It even seems normal, in a film or a series, to see a 15 or 16 year-old smoking tobacco or cannabis. 7 youngsters out of 10 have already smoked by the age of 17. The average age at first-use of cigarettes is 14.
​This is why we decided to create the character of Hope to highlight some of the harmful effects of marijuana. Hope has been invented to warn adolescents against the risks they take when exposed to marijuana and consuming it regularly. But Hope is also concerned with other risks that teens face such as bullying, depression, violence that can often be related to how, and how much, social media they use since social networks can negatively affect them.

​Hope is a dropout girl of 17. She does not find her place in society and is out of keeping with today’s way of life. Contrary to youngsters of her age, she dislikes social media because they play a far too dominant role in every one’s lives. What she wants is face-to-face contact with friends. She has become vulnerable to social anxiety disorder. The short film shows that she has lost control over her life and that she feels desperate: she has lost hope in some happy future. The film argues that such a difficult experience and time can be particularly difficult to accept. But it also shows what Hope does to feel better and pull through. We also see how her family and friends are emotionally impacted for the effects of addiction are felt by the whole family and community.

​I wish to emphasize the fact that we have entirely self-produced this short film together with two other ones that we shot at the same time. These three films were a final-year (High School) project and was run at the Lycée Martin Luther King film club. We had no choice in the topic, « Teenage social issues » was imposed on us. Part of the filmmaking gear, of the props and setting was paid for by the town of Bussy Saint-Georges that gave us a grant. Three months were necessary for the pre-production, the shooting itself lasted 4 months (from April to July 2022) because we also had to study and take the Baccalauréat. We are all film enthusiasts and we worked very hard together to complete this project that really matters very much to us. Conditions were not always easy but we stuck together.

​With this movie, we aim at putting forward human values such as empathy, sympathy, concern for those who suffer from an addiction. We also hope that the film will raise more awareness of this important issue. We chose to criticize drugs differently, not simply through how it affects the body. We wanted to insist on why they are so difficult to quit and on the negative impact they have on the relatives and social circles of the addicted person.

​I HOPE this short film will move the spectators and make them think about their own lives. They may react and wish to find solutions to some of the problems that they/we have to face everyday.