Experiencing Interruptions?

LOVER

Ella, a directress, invites an actress to portray her lover in a war film set in Dunkirk. As the actress tries to understand Ella's intentions, the filming of their fictional romance turns into a battle of seduction, delving into the moral limits of an actress-directress relationship.

  • Ella Altman
    Director
    The Holocaust is Over Bitch, Arabian Nights
  • Ella Altman
    Writer
    The Holocaust is Over Bitch, Arabian Nights
  • Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains
    Producer
  • Ella Altman
    Key Cast
    "Ella"
  • Naama Preis
    Key Cast
  • Ella Altman
    Editor
    The Holocaust is Over Bitch, Arabian Nights
  • Ella Altman
    Original Music
    The Holocaust is Over Bitch, Arabian Nights
  • Pierre Nativel
    Cinematography
  • Valentine Gelin
    Sound Editing
  • Ella Altman
    Sound Editing
  • Salome Renaud
    Sound Engineer
  • Valentine Geline
    Sound Engineer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    LOVER
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    thriller, musical, romance, lgbt, drama, lesbian, war, art
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 22, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    8,400 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    France
  • Country of Filming:
    France
  • Language:
    English, French, Hebrew
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains
  • Oslo Fusion International Film Festival
    Oslo
    Norway
    September 29, 2024
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • TLVFest - Tel Aviv LGBTQ+ International Film Festival
    Tel Aviv
    Israel
    November 1, 2024
    Official selection
Distribution Information
  • Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains
    Distributor
    Country: France
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Ella Altman

Ella Altman was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1993.
Currently lives and creates in France at "Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains".
From 2011 she worked at major radio stations as an editor, writer, host, and producer of documentary and cultural programs. Following her interest in new media and film, in 2017 she started her studies towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Shenkar College of Art and Design, Israel. During her studies she produced, directed, composed, and edited two short films that were screened in international film festivals, and participated in many group exhibitions.
Over the last years she has been teaching experimental filmmaking, as well as lecturing at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The team consists of women of Israeli, Palestinian and French origins, and calls for an Immediate ceasefire.

In 2022, I immigrated to France. Living in Israel was a conflict for me – I never wanted to be a part of that endless war; I felt the need to escape. Upon arriving in France to create a film yet to be written, I send my character, a soldier with a typewriter, for a stroll on the beach in Dunkirk, as the universe hands her a blank page to define her future in this film. As she contemplates it, gunfire erupts. Using the film as an enclave, I choose, through her actions, to shape a narrative distinct from the Dunkirk war—directed and acted by men—and instead write about two lovers seeking refuge from the war through their intimate artistic exploration. The decision to invite an actress to embody this lover, while simultaneously taking on the roles of director and actress, turns into a unique battle—an exploration of the moral complexities intertwined with desire in the cinematic process. The goal is to examine the internal conflict between the dedication of the two characters to create an authentic film and their sincere emotions during the filming of this romance. I invited actress Naama Preis to infuse her own emotional interpretation into my script. The resulting film is the product of our shared exploration.