Underwater

Marlène is pregnant for the first time.
Her grandma’s house in Vendée (France) is about to be sold, so she decides to go and help her with the move and the sorting of her belongings. 
But she wasn’t expecting the nostalgia of these moments and the buried pain that would hit, once she was left alone in the house.

  • Morgane Chaillat
    Director
  • Morgane Chaillat
    Writer
  • Morgane Chaillat
    Producer
  • Manon Clavel
    Key Cast
    "Marlène"
    La Vérité, Un petit frère, Pigalle, Le répondeur, Winter Palace
  • Jeanne Dupuis
    Key Cast
    "La grand-mère"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Submergée
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 25, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    France
  • Country of Filming:
    France
  • Language:
    French
  • Shooting Format:
    Numérique
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Morgane Chaillat

Born in 1991, Morgane Chaillat is a French director and casting director living in Paris. Passionate about films and directing, she chooses to deepen her knowledge of cinema by studying Cinematographic Aesthetics at the Sorbonne, in Paris. To develop her approach to character work and to sharpen her creative approach, she starts working as a casting assistant on short films such as "Basses" by Félix Imbert and feature films such as "Un Petit Frère" by Léonor Serraille. At the same time, she also works as a casting director on short films such as "Vodka Fanta" by Elisabeth Silveiro and as a children casting director on different feature films.

Morgane Chaillat’s work has been inspired by films such as "Thelma and Louise" by Ridley Scott, "Wuthering Heights" by Andrea Arnold, or "Papicha" by Mounia Meddour.

Today, Morgane Chaillat decides to share a piece of her personal story through her first short film, "Underwater".
She chooses Manon Clavel to play her main character because of her lively and poignant performance. Manon was pre-selected for the Césars Revelations 2020 for Kore Eda’s "La Vérité", and nominated at the Molières 2023 for The Best Actress in a supporting role in Martin Crimp’s "La Campagne".
Morgane also collaborates for the first time with her dad who is a guitare teacher and composer, to create the film’s soundtrack.

"Underwater" was shot in her family’s home just before it was sold. With this film, Morgane wants to explore the sensitiveness of childhood memories and create a metaphor between the character’s feelings and the powerful strength of the elements. Also, she questions the silent heritage between mothers and daughters of a same family.

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