For two weeks in September, me and four friends went to the French city of Saint-Etienne to participate in a short film festival called Kinoctambule. Filmmakers, directors, producers, actors and musicians from all over the world came together to create short films. We were given a creative space in an abandoned arms factory where we could work, and a music studio where we could create an original soundtrack.

Filming in the mine museum

The only rules regarding the shooting of short films were that they should not exceed ten minutes and must be shot in Saint-Etienne. During our stay we wandered across the city, which is the UNESCO capital of design, and fell in love with its mine museum. That is why we decided to shot our film there and base the screenplay on the impact that working in the mine had on the miners’ lives and their families.

The creative space where we ate, worked and had fun

We had five days to produce our film so we spent two days filming and three editing. At the end, a big party was held in the city’s culture centre Le Fil where all our short films were screened in front of an audience five hundred strong. It was an unbelievable feeling and a perfect conclusion to our adventure in Saint-Etienne.

We had a lot of time to explore the city…

…and to have fun on our longboards/penny boards

It truly was an amazing experience! I would love to thank all the organizers that prepared such an awesome event  and made as feel at home.

Until the next adventure,

Sara

LOCATION: