Valensole, the movie

Help us produce Valensole, a dramatic and fantastic feature film about the true story of Maurice Masse. Summary of the film In the summer of 65, Maurice Masse, a farmer, discovers in his lavender field a mysterious device that takes off at an astonishing speed, leaving traces on the ground. The news attracts the crowds and puts Maurice in the spotlight. Faced with this sudden unwanted notoriety, he tries to protect his family and to face the disaster: trampled fields, burned hives, harassment. Traumatized, Maurice fears he is going crazy. Based on a true story. The genesis of the project During the preparation of my documentary "Flying objects : a state secret" for Canal+ in 2019, I discovered the "Valensole affair" and the magical setting in which this encounter of the third kind took place at dawn on July 1, 1965, between Maurice Masse, a farmer, and "extraterrestrials" whom he would have confronted, in the middle of his lavender field. On the landing site of the unidentified flying object, the plants were burned, the ground hardened like concrete and curious traces attracted the attention of the police, journalists and scientists from all over the world... Just like the plateau on which lavender is cultivated as far as the eye can see, the small village of Valensole is a magnificent, bucolic setting, full of the special character of Provence. Almost unchanged, its atmosphere plunges us into the books of Pagnol and Giono. Valensole is a film about the true story of an ordinary man who lives an extraordinary experience. It is also the story of a family and a village that suddenly finds itself confronted with an unbelievable event and that asks the question: are we ready? When I met with those who knew Maurice Masse, and based on their testimonies, I felt the desire to share this man's extraordinary experience through the medium of fiction, to allow us to experience with him, through his eyes and those of his family, their emotions and the event in all its mystery. I was also touched by the poetry of this small village in Provence, its inhabitants and its lavender fields. There were all the ingredients to make a film that I want to share with you on the big screen. Welcome to the adventure. Dominique Filhol, director A true story and an investigation by the french Gendarmerie. At the time, faced with the rumor that was spreading in the village, the gendarmes wondered. They went to find Maurice Masse and took his statement. Maurice showed them the traces left in his field. The gendarmes were stunned. The entirety of the gendarmerie's report can be found by clicking here, on the site of GEIPAN, the official organization of the CNES in charge of investigations on unidentified aerospace phenomena. Very quickly, the journalists will also get involved in the case. This farmer never wanted any form of notoriety and even refused the money he was offered for interviews. The story only came to light because of the indiscretion of his friend, the owner of the sports café, to whom Maurice had confided his misadventure, asking him to keep it secret. A scenario based on a thorough investigation. To write this scenario, we have done a lot of research on this case (press of the time, people who knew the witness, close family, trips to Valensole... ). I was able to meet Jacques Vallée, one of the greatest specialists in the world of the UFO phenomenon. He met Maurice Masse twice. He has traveled to the four corners of the world and has met the protagonists of the most extraordinary cases. He inspired Steven Spielberg for the film "Encounters of the Third Kind" for the role of Professor Lacombe played by François Truffaut. Here is a portrait of Jacques Vallée written by Chantel Lou Tattoli in The Wired. A film directed by Dominique Filhol Dominique Filhol has directed several documentaries for television, including two for the Canal+ group on the subject of UFOs, which were successful in terms of ratings. "Valensole" is his first feature film. "Flying Objects : a state secret ", released in April 2020, was broadcast worldwide (Planète+ RTS, RTBF, Radio-Canada, NHK, Amazon US&UK) and will soon reach 2 million views on YouTube in its American version. "The office of UFOs", released in February 2021, tells the story of GEIPAN, the official CNES organization in charge of studying UFOs in France. It is in the top 5 most viewed documentaries on Canal+ in 2021. His short film "The Nine Billion Names of God" adapted from the short story of the visionary writer Arthur C. Clarke was selected in more than 40 festivals in the world and won 12 awards. "Valensole" will be shot with the same team of film professionals. Why crowdfunding? Making a first feature film is rarely easy. Many first films have been produced by their director. Each film project is usually a long adventure. It's a process that can take several years, where the time for financing is sometimes not the time for creation. And for very different reasons, it sometimes happens that the film project, as interesting as it is, never sees the light of day. That's why I decided to launch this crowdfunding in order to complete part of the global financing of the film with a first level at 25 000€ and a second one at 50 000€. This will allow us to start shooting this summer because we are dependent on the flowering of the lavender fields which only last a maximum of one month in summer. We are also open to all partners, producers, distributors, platforms who would like to join us. Co-producers and supporters If you represent a film production company, if you are a sponsor or if you wish to support us in any way, you can contact us directly by e-mail: valensole.lefilm@gmail.com Calendar Shooting scheduled for summer 2022. Release planned in 2023. To follow the developments of the project (news, casting, shooting, release of the film) Follow the facebook page of the film: https://www.facebook.com/valensolefilm and on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valensole_lefilm/