Serafima Serafimova

Is there a limit to the talent that bursts out of GOBELINS every year? With the surprise release of Quand J’ai Remplacé Camille (When I Replaced Camille), students Nathan Otaño, Rémy Clarke and Leïla Courtillon shake their heads in unison. We shared our impressions of this year’s class with a two-part post, but a pair of films in particular impressed to such a degree we wanted them in our official collection. In Quand J’ai Remplacé Camille, the craft is strong enough to make the 7min animation a real standout, but beyond the skill on display, the graduates have proven that they possess the maturity, imagination and ambition to create a powerful drama, tinged with elements of the supernatural, which will take your breath away.

Laure is a young girl, desperate to qualify for the relay swim team and replace star swimmer Camille, who tragically lost her life. As Laure struggles to keep up with the others, she pushes herself physically and mentally until her obsession threatens to overtake both her mind and her body. Quand J’ai Remplacé Camille is a dark cautionary tale, with unsettling undertones, steadily increasing like a pulse thumping in your ears and keeping you on the edge of your seat.

The craft is quite remarkable and a real sensual experience. The stark colour palette of the calming blues, pierced by the screaming reds, create a feast for the eyes, the warm and cold tones clashing together in perfect harmony. The lack of outlines create the illusion that these are more that just illustrations or animated shapes. The style resembles acrylic paintings in motion, which lacks the realism of 3D animation, yet it somehow gives the characters a life of their own, rendering the viewer incapable of staying impartial.

Another key element of Quand J’ai Remplacé Camille is the sound design. The music is a haunting composition with a heartbeat, penetrated by poignant vocals emphasising the most powerful moments in the animation. It guides you through a harmonious medley of emotions, floating seamlessly from sympathy, to fear and grief. There’s a narrative depth in Quand J’ai Remplacé Camille, which transforms a simple story we’ve all heard before into a compelling tale. Striving to succeed, to impress or to live up to expectations, being blindsided by ambition or living in someone else’s shadow – these are elements of life we can all relate to. It’s therefore very easy to see ourselves in Laure and to empathise with her emotional torment. This viewer/character connection demands a powerful response and ensures a lasting impression.

In Quand J’ai Remplacé Camille the trio of animators have cleverly crafted a stunning work of art with a pulse. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for each of them, but we’re certain it will blow us all away, so watch this space!