Water Lilies (2007) Naissance des pieuvres (original title)

Director:

Céline Sciamma

Writer:

Céline Sciamma

Release Date:

15 August 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Summer in a new suburb outside Paris. Nothing to do but look at the ceiling. Marie, Anne and Floriane are 15. Their paths cross in the corridors at the local swimming pool, where love and desire make a sudden, dramatic appearance.

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Synchronized Swimming | Swimming Pool | Defloration | Shoplifting

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Pauline Acquart	...	Marie
Louise Blachère	...	Anne
Adèle Haenel	...	Floriane
Warren Jacquin	...	François
Christel Baras	...	L'inspectrice
Marie Gili-Pierre	...	La caissière (as Marie Gili Pierre)
Alice de Lencquesaing	...	Fille vestiaire
Claire Pierrat	...	Fille vestiaire 2
Barbara Renard	...	Natacha
Esther Sironneau	...	La vendeuse
Jérémie Steib	...	Le masseur
Yvonne Villemaire	...	La voisine
Christophe Vandevelde	...	Type boîte (as Chrisophe Vandevelde)

Directed by
Céline Sciamma

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Céline Sciamma

Produced by
Bénédicte Couvreur	....	producer
Jérôme Dopffer	....	producer

Original Music by
Jean-Baptiste de Laubier		(as Para One)

Cinematography by
Crystel Fournier

Film Editing by
Julien Lacheray

Casting by
Christel Baras
Laure Cochener

Production Design by
Gwendal Bescond

Art Direction by
Pascal Leguellec

Set Decoration by
Geraldine Laferte

Costume Design by
Marine Chauveau

Makeup Department
Marie Luiset	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Xavier Bonnet	....	assistant unit manager
Hakim Cherikh	....	unit manager trainee
Bénédicte Couvreur	....	production manager
Maud Quiffet	....	unit manager
Bachir Sareh	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Delphine Daull	....	first assistant director
Yann Kaïm	....	trainee assistant director
Jérémie Steib	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Mathieu Chatagnon	....	ripper
Pascal Leguellec	....	first assistant production designer
Olivia Talan	....	property master

Sound Department
Pierre André	....	sound editor
Pierre André	....	sound mixer
Francis Bernard	....	sound trainee
Franck Duval	....	boom operator
Stéphane Le Dall	....	boom operator
Daniel Sobrino	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mathieu Villien	....	sound trainee

Visual Effects by
Eric Delmotte	....	main titles designer

Camera and Electrical Department
Jacques Ballard	....	first assistant camera: underwater unit
François Chevreau	....	first assistant camera
Jonas Kail	....	grip
Jérémie Leloup	....	key grip
Richard Mercier	....	second camera operator
Cyril Mousseigne	....	best boy electric
Muriel Olivier	....	gaffer
Stéphane Raymond	....	second assistant camera
Julien Saffroy	....	additional grip
Philippe Vene	....	camera operator: underwater unit

Casting Department
Thomas Bidart	....	extras casting

Editorial Department
Christophe Bousquet	....	color timer
Jean-Christophe Bouzy	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Roselyne Bellec	....	script supervisor
Véronique Ruggia	....	acting coach
Christophe Régin	....	production secretary

Thanks
Philippe Carcassonne	....	thanks
Elisabeth Depardieu	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Balthazar Productions
• Canal+ (participation)
• Région Ile-de-France (participation)
• Arte / Cofinova 3
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Distributors

• Haut et Court (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• ABC Distribution (2007) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Koch Lorber Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Slingshot Studios (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Homescreen (2008) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Koch Lorber Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Netflix (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Optimale (2009) (France) (DVD)
• PRO-FUN media Filmverleih (2008) (Germany) (all media)
• Red Envelope Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Murphy PR  publicity

Also Known As:

"Naissance des pieuvres" - France (original title)

Runtime:

France:85 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14A | UK:15 | Japan:PG-12 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Cergy, Val-d'Oise, France

Company:

Balthazar Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Marie first gets into the water, invited by Floriane, Marie's hair is already wet.

Soundtrack:

Bike

Topsy-turvy relations among three adolescent girls

Three teenage girls in an incomplete triangular relation. The base of the triangle is barely there. At the apex is Marie, a serious, short and lean tomboy with a Belmondo-like facial structure. Her best friend is the physical and psychological opposite: coquette, chubby -- I dare say fat -- and desirous for her first kiss with a boy but not quite ready for her first sexual encounter. Because of her chubbiness, boys don't seem interested and it pains her.

The other leg of the apex is a beautiful "fille fatale" blonde vamp. She is deeply involved in the sport of synchronized swimming performing at competitive level. Marie sees her during a competition at the local public swimming pool. Marie insinuates herself into the life of the vamp using the desire to become a synchronized swimmer as an argument. The vamp has a reputation of being a whore, making out with any young male that orbits around her. Marie is not phased out by that reputation. Put a stress on reputation.

The first half is set up. We get to see a lot of synchronized swimming as we become familiar with the three girls. Eventually the narrative leaves synchronized swimming behind and concentrates on the topsy-turvy relations among the three. That's when unexpected things start to happen.

It is a trademark of French films to drop nuggets of wisdom on the viewer. This one is no exception. Here it is about ceilings and the dying. See the film to learn more.

The director says that the use of synchronized swimming is purposeful. That women-only sport is a metaphor for a girl's life: pretty and feminine on the surface while hard working and competitive underneath. A number of scenes drive this point: elegant moves and smiles for the public, legs kicking ungainly underwater. The title in French is also suggestive: "prieuve", or octopus, suggest an individual having to juggle many pressures simultaneously.