His mother is growing desperate. She needs to know what it is that keeps him going back in the woods...
ABOUT THE MOVIE
Back in the Woods (“Le Portail”) is a 14 minute short film written and directed by Liam Engle. It was produced by Guillaume Dreyfus for Black Bird Productions and Vladimir Feral for Affreux, Sales et Méchants.
It deals with the coming of age of 10 year-old Alexis through a fairy-tale like storyline that has the boy leaving into the unknown…
The movie goes for a mix between a typically French family drama, and the mystery and suspense of a Twilight Zone episode.
Liam Engle: “What was interesting to me was having those two different worlds coexisting within the same story. To see how an almost sci-fi like mystery could somehow bring to light the very simple and down-to-earth problems the characters face.
Back in the Woods stars Maxime Pyta, whose first credit it is, as Alexis. He was found in a theater class in Paris and was so enthusiastic for the part he beat out other more experienced child actors.
His mother is played by French singer and actress Elsa Lunghini. It’s the first time she’s starred in a short film. Elsa remembers Liam Engle contacting her via Facebook: “I looked up his previous films and was so taken by Liam’s energy and enthusiasm that I basically said yes before reading the script”.
The movie was shot over 6 days in February 2009 in and around the village of Marcoussis, France, using a RED 4K camera.
Back in the Woods has started its run in festivals in France and around the world, and should soon be out on DVD.