BARE ROMANCE
fiction film, 2014
16:9 / colour / stereo / Dutch spoken, English subtitled / 29:53 minutes
Victor Dumont in a fragment of Bare romance
Stills
A woman waits for the arrival of a man. They don't know each other. The only thing that unites them is the appointment to meet and to use each other. In an empty house in a forest, they are confronted with their search for love, and with their ambivalent sexuality.
BARE ROMANCE shows the minimalist, raw aesthetic of the beloved body.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
Karel has imposed a number of guidelines on himself within which BARE ROMANCE has been established:
1. I will never tell my actors what they have to do, just what they have to be.
2. I will never rehearse too much. If the first time is good, I will always keep the first, even if it is contrary to what I wanted or expected.
3. I will choose only one subject per scene, so I cannot escape from focusing.
4. In what I do, I never think about good or bad. The only bad thing you can do as an artist is being untruthful.
5. I have not the intention to create a new way of making cinema. I’m making it for myself. I want to go beyond anything I have done before.
6. The power shift in a physical relationship will be the subject of the film in a pure sense. More than showing physical love.
7. The depth of a character is the depth of its sincerity.
8. I take sexuality as a subject, not as an object.
CREDITS
Man, Victor Dumont
Woman, Giada Castioni
Man one, Viktor De Greef
Man two, Kasper Vandenberghe
Script, direction and editing, Karel Tuytschaever
D.O.P., Maxime Desmet
Focus Puller, Hannes Bruyneel
Assistant of director, Arber Aliaj
Managing director, Evy De Ceur
Gaffer, Lothar Legon
Electro, Edward Populaire
Set design and props, Ruth Peeters
Costume design and execution, Chris Snik
Lingerie design and execution, Judith Van Herck
Make-up and hair, Labhise Allara Mandango Ciratu
Runner, Alban Sarens
Set photographer, Louise De Groef
Sound design, Diederik De Cock
Sound mixing, Frederik Van De Moortel
Foley artist, Elias Vervecken
Foley Recordist, Stijn Jacobs
Recording Studio, Gonzo
Breath and voice man, Karel Tuytschaever
Breath and voice woman, Ruth Becquart
Colorist, Ben De Raes
Subtitles, Louise De Groef
English translation, Elisabeth ‘Libby’ Ward
In coproduction with Kris De Meester & Calling Elvis
Executive producer, Kaat Haest
The film received development-oriented support from the Flemish government.
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The film premiered on October 11, 2014, at HETPALEIS, Antwerp. After 6 years of traveling to festivals, since March 20, 2020, the film is to be seen online.
AWARDS
2017, The United States, LA Underground Film Forum,
Honorable mention
2017, France, Martinique International Film Festival,
Best narrative short film
2017, India, Indian World Film Festival,
Best director
2017, The United Kingdom, The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards,
Best direction of the season
2015, Australia, Sydney World Film Festival,
Best narrative short film
2015, The United Kingdom, The monthly film festival,
Best cinematographer
2015, India, Indian Cine Film Festival,
Special festival mention
2015, India, Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival,
Special mention jury
2015, India, Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival,
Special festival mention