Creative Block

Weaving surrealism into everyday life, Creative Block (French title Bloc et Blocage) introduces us to Claire, a young puppet-maker in New York. She's always been full of creativity, until one day, she isn't. Her sudden loss of creativity quickly turns to depression. Then she sees a video of Thibaut, a Parisian figure skater, whose artistry reminds her of what she lost. Determined to meet him, Claire impulsively goes to Paris to find him... only to discover that Thibaut, too, is suffering from creative block. Now it's up to Claire to find the path back to her own creativity: a path strewn with disappointments, surprises ... and balloons.

  • Nicola Rose
    Director
  • Nicola Rose
    Writer
  • Nicola Rose
    Producer
  • Nicola Rose
    Key Cast
    "Claire"
  • Thomas Vieljeux
    Key Cast
    "Thibaut"
  • Géraldine Dulex
    Key Cast
    "Journalist"
  • Philippe Orawski
    Key Cast
    "Defarge"
  • David Serero
    Key Cast
    "Announcer"
  • Anne Barschall
    Key Cast
    "Older Claire"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Bloc et Blocage
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Bilingual, French
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 51 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    France, United States
  • Language:
    English, French
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • YoFiFest (Yonkers Film Festival)
    Yonkers, New York
    United States
    November 5, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema
    Queens, New York
    United States
    August 8, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Art of Brooklyn Film Festival
    Brooklyn, New York
    United States
    June 9, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Franklin International Independent Film Festival
    Franklin, Tennessee
    United States
    November 1, 2018
    Tennessee Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Other Venice Film Festival
    Venice, California
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Princeton Independent Film Festival (upcoming Filmmaker of the Month)
    Princeton, New Jersey
    United States
    Upcoming online selection
    Filmmaker/Film Project of the Month
  • Oregon Cinema Arts Festival
    Portland, Oregon
    United States
    Oregon Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
    Boston, MA
    United States
    August 19, 2018
    Massachusetts Premiere, New England Premiere
    Official Selection / Award Nominee
  • Auckland International Film Festival
    Auckland
    New Zealand
    New Zealand Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Los Angeles CineFest
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    Semi-Finalist
  • Philadelphia International Film Awards
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    United States
    May 18, 2018
    Pennsylvania Premiere
    Official Selection & Nominee, Best Tri-State Breakout Film
  • Mindfield Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    Silver Award (Best Drama) & Official Selection
  • Spotlight Short Film Awards
    Atlanta, GA
    United States
    Silver Award & Official Selection
Director Biography - Nicola Rose

Nicola Rose is a director-producer, writer, and puppeteer based in New York City. Her recent work includes the 24-episode webseries "Callie & Izzy," a comic tale of a young woman with a malevolent puppet growing out of her hand. She followed this up with "Creative Block," a bilingual short film about creativity and loss across two countries. Also a director and producer of live theatre, Nicola is the creator of the musical "Aisle Six," which played Off-Broadway at the Lynn Redgrave Theatre in 2013. Nicola is bilingual in French and English and holds degrees from Columbia University and the Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle in Paris, France. www.nicolaroseonline.com.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

With "Creative Block," I wanted to tell a story about creativity: what happens when we have it, what happens when we lose it, and how — if — we get it back again. In the depths of a creative depression, our protagonist Claire meets someone who deeply inspires her. She then faces the question: can someone else give you back your lost creativity, or is it something you can only retrieve for yourself?