Wild Fruits

16th century: After a period overseas in the Antarctic France, Jean Aurand finds refuge as a servant in the house of French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, where a series of fantastical events change the lives of these two men forever.

  • Bernardo Zanotta
    Director
    Insieme Insieme (2022), In His Bold Gaze (2020), Heart of Hunger (2018)
  • Bernardo Zanotta
    Writer
    Insieme Insieme (2022), In His Bold Gaze (2020), Heart of Hunger (2018)
  • Manon Bovenkerk
    Producer
  • Thiago Antunes
    Key Cast
  • Andy Smart
    Key Cast
  • Hinke-Ann Eleveld
    Key Cast
  • Igor Pedroso
    Key Cast
  • Diego De Silva Pinto
    Key Cast
  • José Marcal de Jesus
    Key Cast
  • Mavi Veloso
    Key Cast
  • Camila Rosa
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Costume, queer
  • Runtime:
    35 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    160,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Netherlands
  • Country of Filming:
    Netherlands
  • Language:
    English, French
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Bernardo Zanotta

Bernardo Zanotta (1996, Brazil) is a filmmaker and visual artist based in Amsterdam.His films blend historical and fictional narratives that subvert genre and convention. His work has been exhibited internationally at art venues, cinemas, and festivals, including FID Marseille, Rotterdam (25 Encounters), and Locarno, where he was awarded the Pardino d'Argento for his film Heart of Hunger (2018). Alongside short and mid-length projects, he is currently developing his first feature film.

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Director Statement

WILD FRUITS is an experimental costume drama based on the essay 'Of Cannibals' by French philosopher Michel de Montaigne. It recounts a series of episodes in the life of a fictional servant of Montaigne, Jean Aurand, which influenced the writing of Montaigne's famous text.

I have attempted to construct a filmic space as artificial as the stage of a theatre, and mixed therein both actors and non-actors, who speaking together, can testify to a kind of queer, postcolonial subjectivity.

The story is told from the main character's point of view, against the backdrop of the French colonial expansion and religious wars. It opens with Jean aboard a ship going to Brazil as part of the Huguenot group sent there to conquer an island. It then follows Jean's return back to France, when disillusioned by the colonial project, he meets Montaigne and develops an intimate relationship with him.

Their lives are shown through portraits of their daily activities, focused on the power relation between them, Montaigne's ageing process, and Jean's search for his own identity. One day, while walking in the forest close to Montaigne's castle, they stumble upon strange tropical fruits, brought from the future by a group of time travellers on a mission to change the lives of these two men; an encounter which would come to alter the course of history forever.