The animated film A Crab In The Poolwritten and directed by Jean-Sébastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte, won the audience award at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, on Monday.
“We are on cloud nine,” reacted Jean-Sébastien Hamel, who is a couple with Alexandra Myotte. We found out the news two days after we returned from Texas, because they had to count the public votes. »
The 11-minute film features a teenager, Zoé, and her little brother, Théo, who live in a disadvantaged suburb of Quebec.
“The two young people are experiencing a common drama, but they will experience it in different ways,” explains Jean-Sébastien Hamel, in a telephone interview. She is brooding, while her brother takes refuge in a happier imaginary world, but the two are disconnected from each other. Over time, they will get closer. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEAN-SÉBASTIEN HAMEL
The authors and directors ofA hole in the chestJean-Sébastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte
The author and director says he was overwhelmed by the film Portrait of the girl on fire, by Céline Sciamma, which told the story of an impossible love between two women. He was also inspired by it for the writing of the film, which describes an inevitable drama, but following which the two characters will support each other to move forward.
The short film produced in 2023, which has already won around fifteen awards in Quebec (including the prize for best short film at Cinemania) and internationally, qualified for the preselection of next year’s Oscars.
The latest film from the Hamel-Myotte tandem, No title (2021), had also won numerous awards, including Best Canadian Short Film at the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) in 2021, in addition to being nominated for the 2022 IRIS Prize for Best Animated Short Film .