Forêt ivre

Mont Chauffé, standing at almost 2,100 metres, is situated in the French Alps. On that mountain stands a hut that serves not only as a place where walkers can spend the night, but also as a refuge for people who want to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life for a while. People such as Anne, Hélène and Suzanne, three women who each run the hut for a season: Anne in spring, Hélène in summer and Suzanne in winter. Occasionally a hiker turns up at the door, but otherwise the women are left to their own devices. The isolation seems overwhelming, but for these women, solitude actually offers a form of freedom in which they find something that does not exist elsewhere.

French director Manon Coubia grew up in the French Alps and, in this debut film – which she wrote herself – she explores her memories of this landscape. At the same time, she shows the viewer what remains when all modern comforts are stripped away. She does so through stunning footage shot on 16mm film.