David Depesseville makes his feature film debut with ‘Astrakan’

The Punto de Encuentro section of the 67th edition of Seminci has screened the French feature film directed by David Depesseville, Astrakan, this Wednesday 26th October 2022. This film has been screened before the public at the Teatro Zorrilla during the Semana Internacional del Cine de Valladolid.

The film features Mirko Giannini, Jehnny Beth, Bastien Bouillon, Théo Costa-Marini, Lorine Delin, Lisa Hérédia, Paul Blain and Nathaël Bertrand, who give life to the family of characters around which the plot of this story revolves.

This was the first film by Depesseville, who was present at the screening of the film to show his project in the city of Puebla. The director wanted to explain before watching the film that “although there are hard moments in the film, we have the sensitivity to appreciate a light within them”.

The French feature film, Astrakan, tells the story of Samuel, a sullen-looking twelve-year-old orphan. Marie, Clément and their two children have taken him in for a few weeks in the Morvan region of France. Samuel becomes uninhibited and immersed in his self-discovery as a teenager, but he also has to face the secrets of his new family. Until one day everything changes.

“It was hard work, especially with the main protagonist, Samuel. The children at all times were fully aware of the issues we were dealing with, both physically and psychologically. Their parents accompanied them during the filming to support them”, says David Depesseville, who also emphasises the character, adding that in the casting selection he “saw in him a gymnast’s body and a look that transmitted”.

“My intention was to show children smoking or doing silly things so that the children themselves or the public who saw it would be aware that these are things that can be done”, Depesseville goes on to explain. Films such as ‘La infancia desnuda‘ and ‘Tonterías del amor’, have served as a reference for the French director to create this film, which he is aware “has strong and suspenseful moments”.