Emperor, an interactive and narrative experience which invites us to travel inside the brain of a father, suffering from aphasia. Alongside his daughter, we journey into the father’s mental space – imagined as a hand-drawn, monochrome landscape – as she seeks to learn more about his inner self, now obscured by illness.
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EMPEROR is born from a true story. The story of Marion’s father, who has been suffering from aphasia for the past fifteen years. He confuses words, and stumbles over each syllable. He understands everything, but can no longer make himself understood.
More than the medical aspect of his condition, she was interested in the poetry of some of the absurd situations which she had sometimes encountered. One day she found herself comparing aphasia to a distant country. She could see him lost in this faraway land, trying to find his bearings, attempting to be understood. This idea helped her imagine his distress, and a bridge to try to reach him. But in order to grasp what he was trying to say, she’d have to delve into the man he had once been.
EMPEROR is at once a deeply personal story, and a universal reminder of the frail threads which keep us tethered to one another.
Marion Burger & Ilan J. Cohen
Born in France in 1987, Marion Burger is a production designer on several feature films including Divines by Houda Benyamina (Caméra d’or 2016), Gagarine by Jérémy Trouilh and Fanny Liatard (Cannes 2020) and more recently Mother and Son by Léonor Serraille (Cannes 2022). On this occasion, she has been awarded the Young Film Technician Prize for her work. Based on her personal story, Emperor marks her directorial debut.
Born in France in 1984, Ilan has been working as a first assistant director since 2008 (including Noaz Deshe’s White Shadow, Lodge Kerrigan’s Rebecca H., and Bertrand Bonello’s Sarah Winchester) while pursuing his own screenwriting and directing music videos (Rone, Gaspar Claus).
JORGE TERESO is a director & digital artist from Buenos aires. His work ranges from playful and lysergic animations to realistic VR experiences and interactive installations. He’s a partner at 3dar studios, where he created its first award winning short film, Shave It (2013).
Since then he’s been creating 3dar’s original content, always in search of new ways to expand the possibilities of animation.
Written and directed by
Marion Burger, Ilan J. Cohen
Produced By
Atlas V, Reynard Films, France Télévisions in association with Albyon
Producer
Oriane Hurard
Co-producers
Katharina Weser, Jeanne Marchalot
Supported by
CNC, FFF Bayern, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, MEDIA Creative Europe, Medienboard Berlin-Brandeburg, Bours, Beaumarchais Orange XR, Région Sud, Procirep-Angoa, Fondation Audiens Générations, SLM, Pico, Astrea.
Narrated By
Vimala Pons (French voice), Olivia Cooke (English voice)
Music by
Jamie Turner (Heran Soun) & Gaspar Claus
Sound Design
Côme Jalibert
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