What if the Vosges were the most terrifying region in France? This is what suggests The Soul Eater by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury discovered at the Gérardmer Festival. Children disappear there, adults kill each other there and Virginie Ledoyen and Paul Hamy lead the investigation.
Alexis Laipsker’s novel takes on a new dimension in the heart of mountains which smell of the resin of green fir trees and the fresh blood of victims in pitiful condition. “The atmosphere found here in the Vosges was ideal,” explains Julien Maury to 20 minutes. As we have been attending the Gérardmer festival for years, we were not out of place. We knew the area well and we were spoiled for choice when it came to decor! » This wild region was indeed quite suitable for hosting violent deaths and other grim kidnappings.
The region donates funds
“The book took place in France and the Vosges perfectly matched the description given by the author,” says producer Fabrice Lambot. The fact that the region supports genre cinema convinced us. I believe we are the first project they have helped. »
The Vosges are opening their doors wide to horror films with the “Frissons in Grand-Est” system which helps finance numerous projects. The duo Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo stepped into the breach. “Everyone wins: the region encourages creation,” explains Alexandre Bustillo. The settings we found there became full-fledged characters in our film. » They filmed for six weeks between Plombières-les-Bains, Saint-Amé, Senones and Gérardmer.
The forest is perfect
Trees hide crimes and criminals. Getting lost in this lush nature is scary from the first images. And it’s even worse when the famous “soul eater”, a horned demon who scares little children, appears. “It contributed to my character’s anxiety about being crushed by a hostile nature. We have the impression that the monster can hide everywhere,” insists actor Paul Hamy.
The directors take great pleasure in showing how small their hero appears in this massive setting where he is looking for toddlers who have not given any sign of life for months. Magnificent drone shots perfectly highlight the settings. “We employed technicians from the region. It was also important to preserve the authenticity of the places,” insists Alexandre Bustillo. A sequence in a local sawmill offers a good example of this implication.
The hospital is not ordinary!
Part of the film takes place in the disused Altenberg sanatorium, optimal for hiding un-Catholic practices. “This decor inspired us a lot,” recognizes Alexandre Bustillo. There is something of the order of the fantastic in this type of establishment. We immediately feel uncomfortable. »
All you have to do is add a few accessories that are really out of place in a hospital so that the viewer’s imagination does the rest. Some “refurbished” rooms are terrifying when you think about what must have happened there. And that’s without even mentioning the establishment’s imposing crematorium. “We discovered places with high spooky potential while walking around the region. It wasn’t always easy from a logistical point of view but we adapted to the settings,” insists Julien Maury.
Light, a good deal
The very particular lighting which bathes the small isolated villages promotes the distressing atmosphere of this thriller against a backdrop of very creepy legends and very twisted imaginations. “We thought of the books by Jean-Christophe Grangé as well as the adaptation of Purple Rivers directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and also to the novels of Maxime Chattam.
They all draw part of their potential for anxiety from settings that are both familiar and disturbing. These little Vosges houses can harbor all kinds of deadly secrets and they don’t hold back. “I believe that the region has fully grasped its potential for genre cinema,” insists Julien Maury. We were overwhelmed as much by the welcome as by the professionalism and the beauty of the decor. We certainly won’t be the last to shoot there. »
No need to leave France to meet The Soul Eater. The villain of this excellent thriller prowls in the mountains of the Grand-Est and in movie theaters.