Home>Maximilien, a passion for cinema
24.11.2023
Maximilien, a passion for cinema
Discover the path taken by Maximilien Saint-Cast, a student in the Public Administration stream, whose documentary film "Our Brothers' & Sisters' Keepers" premiered at Grand Rex on 9 December 2023.
You founded Studio N a few years ago. Could you tell us a bit about the association?
Of course! Studio N is an audiovisual production association that I founded 6 years ago with some close friends. I've had a passion for cinema since I was very young, and from secondary school onwards I started to devour more and more films. This gave me the desire to become more than a spectator and so in 2017 I wrote my first short fiction film. At the time I was in Year 10 and completely new to the audiovisual world, apart from my passion for watching films, so I set up a Facebook page to invite young people around me who wanted to get involved in making the film to join me.
Very quickly, more and more people joined the project, including Nathan Duquet and Gaël Cathala, who went on to become members of the association's Board. Coming from different backgrounds, social classes and secondary schools, we soon numbered around twenty, driven by our shared passion for cinema.
Once completed, this first film was selected by several national and international festivals and generated several thousand views on YouTube. At the same time, many young people around us told us that they would like to get involved in similar projects. So we set up the Studio N association to help young people take their first steps into the world of cinema.
The association quickly grew. Less than a year after it became official, it already had more than 100 members. Today, Studio N is France's leading audiovisual production association in terms of membership, with more than 350 members. Since its inception, it has produced a wide range of projects on a wide range of themes, thanks to its loyal and generous public and private partners. It now has 2 feature films, 2 documentaries, 2 web series and nearly twenty short films to its name.
This success, combined with the increased skills of the members of the Board of Directors in managing film projects, has encouraged some of them and me to go further in our ability to create and support new audiovisual adventures. So last year, in parallel with our higher education studies and after raising over €130,000, we founded the production company Studio N.
Studio N complements the work of the association, whose mission to educate people in the visual arts is always close to our hearts, and aims to enable us to take on projects of a new dimension... with the ultimate aim of being able to make a living from our passion.
A word about the Fédération Française du Cinéma Associatif, which you initiated?
The creation of the Fédération Française du Cinéma Associatif (FFCA) was based on the observation that, despite the rapid and remarkable growth of community cinema in France, it suffers from a lack of recognition in the French film landscape. With the aim of remedying this situation, Studio N initiated the creation of the FFCA, whose ambition is to offer greater visibility and legitimacy to community cinema, and of which I am currently President.
The FFCA's main objective is to create a dynamic and supportive network of film associations across France. This network is intended to be a crossroads for the exchange of experience, resources and opportunities, strengthening collaboration and mutual support between film enthusiasts. At the same time, the federation wants to raise the profile of associative productions, making them more accessible and recognised by the general public and institutions such as the Centre National du Cinéma (CNC).
To achieve these objectives, the FFCA is deploying various strategies. It has created a space for exchange on social networks, developed effective communication tools and organises regular meetings between the associations' governing bodies. These initiatives aim to facilitate information sharing, networking and the pooling of audiences.
In the medium term, the FFCA is also planning to organise large-scale events, the most notable of which is an associative film festival, the first edition of which is scheduled for the summer of 2024. This festival will provide an exceptional platform for the presentation and celebration of associative cinematographic works, thus contributing to their recognition on the national and international scene.
In short, the FFCA aims to be a springboard for French community cinema. It aims to offer structural and organisational support to existing associations, but is also a valuable opportunity for any association wishing to become more involved in the field, to broaden its horizons and actively contribute to the evolution of the associative film landscape.
Let's talk more specifically about your latest production, "Our Brothers' & Sisters' Keepers". Can you explain the context and present this documentary?
"Our Brothers' & Sisters' Keepers is a deeply human and poignant documentary film, made in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Particularly moved by the humanitarian crisis and the distress of the Ukrainian people, my team and I immediately decided to take action. After careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that the best way for us to help was to do what we do best: create images. And so Studio N's first documentary film was born.
This film is the fruit of our desire to give a voice to refugees and international volunteers, avoiding sensationalism and emphasising the human aspect at the heart of this crisis. In July 2022, we travelled to Przemyśl, a Polish town just 15 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. There, we spent almost a week gathering moving testimonies in Tesco, a disused supermarket transformed into one of the largest reception centres for Ukrainian refugees in Europe.
These voices, those of men and women affected by the war, are currently being shown in previews in CGR cinemas in several towns in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, along with a special screening at the Grand Rex in Paris on 9 December. These testimonies are not just stories; they are real calls for solidarity and a better understanding of what these uprooted men, women and children are going through.
This documentary is a project of which we are particularly proud at Studio N. To date, it is the one that has taken us furthest, both in human and geographical terms. Its unique story structure and vibrant message make this film particularly special to us. Our aim has always been to convey strong emotions through our creations, and 'Our Brothers' & Sisters' Keepers' embodies this ambition with, I believe, a remarkable sincerity and accuracy thanks to the strength of the testimonies it presents.
The previews represent a unique opportunity to share these emotions and this crucial message with the public, who can book their tickets on the avp.studio-n.fr website. We hope that many people will join us for these special screenings, to share these powerful stories together and to honour the spirit of solidarity and resilience that drives the "guardians of our brothers and sisters".
How did your training at the School of Public Affairs, and more specifically your Public Administration stream, contribute to the parallel activity you are pursuing today?
My training at Sciences Po, and currently at the School of Public Affairs, has greatly enriched my work at Studio N and in my community work.
First of all, it gives me a deeper understanding of societal issues, which is essential for creating relevant and impactful films and documentaries, such as "Our Brothers' & Sisters' Keepers", for example. The ability to capture and portray social complexities through film is a valuable skill that I'm cultivating thanks to the courses I'm taking.
The encounters I made at Sciences Po with inspiring fellow students, such as Carla Munnier, who is now a member of the company's Executive Committee and also a student at the School of Public Affairs, also play a key role in my entrepreneurial backgrounds. Our shared passion for social change through film, their varied perspectives, support and expertise contribute greatly to the vision and execution of my various projects.
In addition, my training allows me to better navigate the public administration landscape, a crucial knowledge for a producer. Working with bodies such as the CNC and regional authorities is often complex and requires a precise understanding of how they operate. This skill is essential to me in order to obtain the funding, authorisations and subsidies that are vital to the development and realisation of our film projects.
So I'd say that the knowledge and skills I've acquired at the School of Public Affairs are more than just useful for my professional and community projects; I apply them directly to my day-to-day activities and use them to further Studio N's ambition of producing cinematographic works that reflect contemporary concerns and encourage social dialogue.
