Céline Roustan
A
fter a few years in jail, Martin, a former ATV champion known as the ‘Prince of Val-Bé’, has paid his debt to society and is ready to return to his hometown. His sister and niece (who he has never met) are ready to welcome him home, but for the rest of the town, the return of the Prince is not such a joyous occasion. Mixing sports, comedy and action, writer/director Jean-François Leblanc’s 19-minute short Le Prince de Val-Bé (The Prince of Val-Bé) is an emotional and entertaining character-driven narrative, that leaves you wanting to spend more time in its world.
“It is such a massive tragedy to be really really good at something that you don’t like”
Inspired to pen his screenplay because of a fascination with people stuck with a talent they end up hating, Leblanc cites Andre Agassi as an example, after reading that he hates Tennis, but still made a career out of it. “It is such a massive tragedy to be really really good at something that you don’t like”, he shares with us – and he’s right. When we think about all the dedication, effort and sacrifice you put into something that you get no joy from, simply because that is all you are able to do… that inner conflict makes a compelling story. As Le Prince de Val-Bé proves.
Alongside this interest with talented people who hate their calling, Leblanc was also fueled by a desire to bring to the screen the environment he grew up in, wanting to share what his hometown is like with its ATV and Motocross competitions. While he admits that he showed no interest in these things growing up, he saw the film as the opportunity to better understand the people he grew up around. Admitting he used his short as a way to better “know those people”, his desire to capture this community is vital in the authentic feel of his short.
“The race part was something really important for me” – Leblanc on the film’s energetic conclusion.
Accelerating at an incredibly entertaining pace, there’s a lot going on, on multiple levels, in The Prince of Val-Bé. From his relationship with his family to his fallout with the rest of the town, and ATV itself, Martin has a lot on his plate and Éric Robidoux brings him to life with startling depth and complexity. Hitting all the beats, from dark comedy to drama to action, he fleshes out his character with a remarkable sensibility that makes it impossible not to empathize with the anti-hero he is, his relationship with his niece the perfect window into his vulnerabilities.
Climaxing with an action-packed race scene, which Leblanc admits was “really important” to his narrative, this sequence is paramount to the film’s success, as it builds the tension before delivering a satisfying conclusion. While most would say that the result was predictable, the scene is undoubtedly both enthralling and effective. Visually, shot with Go-Pros so close to the ground, with Martin’s breathing and muttering providing a soundtrack as he races, the scene is incredibly immersive, really dragging us into the experience of the race. It’s the moment he shares with niece that wraps the films nicely though, showing Martin with a purpose as he’s able to stand tall in front of the people and the institution that has made him so miserable.
Leblanc’s sixth short film, after hitting the 2019 festival circuit, with notable stops at Regard and SIFF, we are happy to host the online premiere of The Prince of Val-Bé on S/W. With all this short film experience, Leblanc is taking the next logical step in his career and is currently in the writing stage on his feature debut – once again to be produced by Colonelles films.