Death of a Shadow (2012)

Stuck in a dark limbo between life and death, a deceased soldier Nathan Rijckx collects shadows of dying men and women to buy back his own second chance at life. Obsessed by a girl he met ... See full summary »

Director:

Tom Van Avermaet

Writer:

Tom Van Avermaet

Stars:

Matthias Schoenaerts, Laura Verlinden, Peter Van den Eede

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 18 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthias Schoenaerts	...	Nathan Rijckx
Laura Verlinden	...	Sarah Winters
Peter Van den Eede	...	Collector Of Shadows (as Peter Van Den Eede)
Benjamin Ramon	...	Daniel Hainaut
Amandine Zurbuchen	...	Nurse
Brian Piezel	...	Boran Kassovic
Denis Duron	...	Jan Ternauw
Gregory Rabat	...	New Photographer
Emile Boudaille	...	Thomas Belcourt
Bruno Clément	...	German Soldier
Franck Maréco	...	German Soldier
Daniel Rechul	...	German Soldier
Laurent Marchetti	...	German Soldier
Guillaume Sentier	...	German Soldier
Simon Robas	...	German Soldier

Storyline

Stuck in a dark limbo between life and death, a deceased soldier Nathan Rijckx collects shadows of dying men and women to buy back his own second chance at life. Obsessed by a girl he met the moment before he died, the thought of seeing his beloved again drives the soldier to regain access to the world of the living. But when he discovers that she's already in love with someone else, jealousy clouds his mind and pushes him toward a bitter decision, a decision not without its consequences...

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Plot Keywords:

soldier | limbo | jealousy | love | death | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama | Fantasy | Romance | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Van Avermaet won the VAF (Flemish Audiovisual Fund) Wild Card (a prize given every year to two of the best student films in Flanders, Belgium), with his thesis film, Dreamtime, in 2006. This meant an immediate grant for a next short film project; in the beginning he thought he was going to make this project very soon after graduation, but things turned out a bit differently. He first tried to make the project a couple times with the budget he had, but then realized it just wasn't going to be possible. As they didn't want to compromise on the story they wanted to tell, Avermaet and producer Ellen De Waele from Serendipity Films had to go out and look for more money. They tried different countries and different governmental institutions, but only after a couple of years of trying, they found a willing partner in the Region Champagne-Ardennes in France. This coupled with some tax shelter money from a company called Intraco Ltd., and they were able to finally finish the movie. A lot of people also co-produced the movie to some extent by taking less money or giving their time for free, so without the generous help of all the partners, cast, and crew, this project wouldn't have been possible.

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Quotes

Nathan Rijckx: I'm Sorry!

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Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2013)

User Reviews

Short but ...

So maybe it isn't about size (or in this case length), but about quality. And this short movie has that and then some. Visually you will not be able to find this any different from any Blockbuster you are watching on the big screen (or small one to stay with the theme). The story may be a bit predictable to a point, but this does not take away the fun you can and will have if you like your Science Fiction a bit bleaker than the rest of the pack.

The actors are more than decent and the sound design is well made too. There is a reason this scored over 7 here on IMDb and if you do not have any hesitations against short movies, you should seek this out and watch it, if you can. Well worth your time

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Belgium France

Language:

Flemish French German

Release Date:

10 September 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Death of a Shadow

Company Credits

Production Co:

Serendipity films, Bulletproof Cupid, Mollywood

Technical Specs

Runtime:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1