The project in 2 words:

"A New World" is a short film of less than 5 minutes that invites the spectator to change his vision of the Middle Ages and to question the fears of the future that we feel today and which are strangely close to those of the French from the 15th century.

The movie will be available both in ENGLISH and FRENCH since the only voice in the movie is a voice over. Subtitles will also be available any several languages.

Shooting of the movie in June 2021 in an Abbaye in France.

(The presentation video is a mock-up of the audio tape. The drawing is an inspiration and does not constitute the story board which is presented below.)

Synopsis:

On a cold winter night in a scriptorium, a 45-year-old monk writes his thoughts on the upheavals in late medieval society. His preoccupations and his fear of the future are strangely close to the sentiment which animates the peoples of the 21st century, who are also confronted with a new world order.

Director's note of intent:

While in the popular imagination the Middle Ages were a dark, violent and miserable time, it is striking to note through the film that this image would in no way have been shared by our ancestors who lived through this period. The literature of the late Middle Ages (15th century) abounds with fears about the future and the emerging new order. The world then changes rapidly and the achievements that have formed the basis of medieval society for centuries are called into question.

The most glaring example is the collapse of the feudal system. The transfer of powers from the local lords to the King is accelerating. This exodus of powers towards regions perceived as distant echoes this feeling of loss of control that we can feel in the 21st century: Responsibilities are transferred to global institutions, international private companies or European institutions. constitutes the beginning of a small ice age which will last several centuries. Although it is a different cause of the warming that we know today, we can only understand the feeling that the women and men of the Middle Ages must have experienced when confronted with an alteration of their climate. the most important technical advance of the Middle Ages. A technical revolution that has contributed to the economic growth and prosperity of the people. Yet few history books mention the massive destruction of jobs caused by the appearance of these mills. What is now achieved by the mechanical arm of the mill was previously done by a multitude of men. Society has adapted and new types of jobs have been created. It is touching to realize that a Frenchman of the Middle Ages and a Frenchman of the 21st century confronted with the automation of the means of production, could finally share their fears for the future on subjects which are much more familiar to us than what the collective imagination lets us think.

The film invites the viewer to wonder if, deep down, the fears we feel about the transformation of our world have not always been shared. In each era, the previous one seems to have been better. Today, however, the majority agree on one point: our society is preferable to that of the Middle Ages.

Maxime PINCHAUD (The Director)

Film screening:

The film will be presented at the Cannes festival, the Clermont-Ferrand festival and other festivals. It will also be offered to VOD broadcasters and television channels.

Story Board:

Discover the storyboard of the film below.

Director's biography:

Always passionate about cinema, Maxime PINCHAUD, directed his first short film at the age of 20 in 2011 and then participated in the film market of the Clermont-Ferrand short film festival. In 2016, he directed "Une impression de déjà vu", a short film on Alzheimer's disease that the France Alzheimer association now regularly broadcasts during awareness-raising conferences.

Graduated in aerospace engineering in 2016, he joined his two passions by working in the European astronaut training center of the European Space Agency (ESA). He is working on several audiovisual projects including the announcement video of the new European astronaut Matthias Maurer, a documentary on Timothy PEAKE's mission broadcast in London on the occasion of the British astronaut's return to earth and participates in the training of Thomas PESQUET for his 2017 mission.

The film crew:

Head decorator: Boris VAN OVERTVELDT, With 15 years of experience as head decorator, Boris made the sketches for the monk's desk and will build the medieval furniture himself.

Executive producer: Julien MARTINEZ, experienced salesperson.

Original music composer: Thibault COHADE https://www.thibaultcohade.com

Filmography of the director (Maxime PINCHAUD):

Je suis toujours là (2021, In competition at the Nikon Film Festival 2021):

https://www.festivalnikon.fr/en/video/2020/1281

A sens of déjà vu (2016):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXB-JfD2YgY

Medieval Film - A New World

The publications