Private Project

VORTEX

A desperate killer leaves the city behind and meets, on his way, a mysterious witch who’s connected to nature. Thus begins a strange organic relationship, between life and death.

  • Christophe Karabache
    Director
  • Christophe Karabache
    Writer
  • May Kassem
    Writer
  • Cécilia Werkmaïster
    Producer
  • Elias Sfeir
    Producer
  • Julien Romano
    Key Cast
    "The man (Joe)"
  • Claudia Fortunato
    Key Cast
    "The woman (The witch)"
  • Joelle Hélary
    Key Cast
  • Romuald Bourdon
    Key Cast
  • Aurélian Pechméja
    Director of Photography
  • Céline Zwick
    Assistant-Camera
  • Yannick Wallon
    Sound/Boom
  • Christophe Karabache
    Editing/Sound Design
  • Mélanie Sanguinetti
    Production Manager
  • Michel Duprez
    Original Soundtrack
  • Vincent Honca
    Original Soundtrack
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Thriller, Fantastic
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 23 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    France
  • Country of Filming:
    France
  • Language:
    French
  • Shooting Format:
    UHD 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival
    Buffalo
    United States
    August 29, 2019
    Best "WTF" Film
  • Dracula Film Festival
    Brasov
    Romania
    October 17, 2019
  • BangkokThai International Film Festival
    Bangkok
    Thailand
    Best Director
  • Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Trujillo
    Trujillo
    Peru
  • annual ARFF Amsterdam//Around International Film Festival
    Amsterdam
    January 10, 2021
    Best Director
  • The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards
    London
    United Kingdom
    Best Feature Film
  • Cuzco Underground Cinema Festival
    Cuzco
    Peru
  • Five Continents International Film Festival

    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
    Best Thriller, Best Sound Design
  • Festival Montevideo Fantastico
    Montevideo
    Uruguay
    December 11, 2019
    Best Screenplay/BestActor/Best Actress
  • Alternative Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    Best Actor
  • FICMARC Festival Internacional de Cine del Mar Caribe
    Isla de Margarita
    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
  • FESTMEDALLO Festival Internacional de Cine de Medellín
    Medellín
    Colombia
  • Maverick Movie Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Best Sound Design
  • Eurasia Fest
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    Finalist
  • New York Cinematography Awards
    New York
    United States
    Best Experimental Film
  • Motor City Nightmares International Film Festival
    Detroit
    United States
  • Madrid Indie Film Festival
    Madrid
    Spain
  • The Shawna Shea Film Festival
    Massachusetts
    United States
    September 21, 2021
    Best International Horror Feature
  • Bastalavista International Genre Film Festival
    Hannover
    Germany
    December 8, 2021
  • cinema Studio Galande
    Paris
    France
    October 28, 2020
    Premiere - Theatrical releasing (Visiosfeir Distribution)
  • Hacker Porn Film Festival
    Roma
    Italy
    May 14, 2022
    special mention Feature Film
  • PFFV - Porn Film Festival Vienna
    Vienna
    Austria
    April 12, 2023
  • Peephole FilmFest
    Guadalajara
    Mexico
    November 5, 2023
    Best Experimental Feature
  • La Monstrasse - festival de cinéma & video
    Florac
    France
    June 24, 2023
Distribution Information
  • Visiosfeir Distribution
    Country: France
    Rights: All Rights
  • Shami Media Group (SMG)
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Christophe Karabache

French-Lebanese filmmaker. Born in Beirut in 1979, he completed his Cinema Studies at Université Paris III - Sorbonne Nouvelle (France) and through a joint program at The University of Iowa (USA).
He began his exploration of film at l’Etna, an alternative workshop in Paris. He initially made experimental films.
His current filmmaking practice shifts between documentary and fiction.
His films have been showcased at several international film festivals and theatrically released in France by Visiosfeir Distribution. A documentary about his work is edited on DVD by RE:VOIR (Paris) .
In 2017, he signed a global distribution deal with SMG (New York). He worked with Dragway Productions in 2018.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

« Vortex » swirls drama and fantasy while reality remains tangible.
The two characters in the film (the man and the woman) are opposites. They meet nonetheless. Both have a certain degree of power over life : one takes it, the others gives it back. Their coexistence remains difficult, impossible even.
Through the filming of their daily lives, portraits are drawn of each.
Noise, silence, fury and dissonance resonnate together as strangeness morfs into absurdity.
Chaos, matter, cruelty, solitude, emptiness, instinct, and impulses (of life and death, of passion and destruction) where Eros and Thanatos are intertwined.
A jump into the void, into fear and memories.