A boy gets a postcard from his dead dad and refuses to believe the coffin isn't empty.
The postcard obviously begins with a map. Posted in the Caribbean, it is addressed by a father to his son. We quickly understand that the mother and her child are preparing to leave for the funeral mass of the father in question. Confident in his father's life and good health, the boy refuses to believe that the coffin is occupied and, indifferent to the solemn atmosphere of the moment, he worries about a young woman standing apart from the procession.
Direction
Goffette lets silence do the heavy lifting.
Acting
Martin Viot's refusal to perform grief is heartbreaking.
Director
Vivian Goffette
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Belgian director Vivian Goffette specialized in short-form emotional ambushes—this won the 1999 César for Best Short Film.
The final shot lingers on Martin's face as the funeral continues without him; reportedly filmed in a single take after Viot had been kept waiting for hours, his exhaustion becoming authentic bewilderment.
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