Director: Maxime Durand

Synopsis: All of us, at some point in our life, need to retreat from the world. Retire to recover, to blossom, to be ourselves; retire to better connect with others. All of us need a SHELTER.

The film showcases a young woman: Nina. She feels lost; doesn’t know what to believe in anymore. Humanity and the barriers that exist between individuals -gender, origin, sexuality, social classe, race etc… have made her sick. She searches for a refuge, a place where everyone is free to be themself. She’s completely conscious about the world that she is living in. She seeks deeper meaning.

The film opens on Nina trying to call someone who, unfortunately, doesn’t answer She has to leave a voice message of confused memories, fleeting images of a place she thinks she has been. But she can’t remember. Was it real or just a dream?

We discover the SHELTER. A place out of time and where limits do not exist. Here, the tribe welcome Nina and, through initiation rituals, help free and elevate her soul. She discovers acceptance, time, love but also lies, egos and hidden sexual desires.

All along her journey, dreams and reality mix in an inextricable way until they become one.

Bio: Writer-director, Maxime Durand newest work is an invitation to express who and what we are; to find our own tribe, far from society & its judgments. Throughout the film, metaphors and symbolism watermark this audio-visual voyage.

Program: Beauty, Sex & Shame – VAEFF 2022