In Cannes from May 18th to 25th

Directed by

Rafi El Watik

SHELLSHOCK

Guerre Chaude
Directed by

Rafi El Watik

Year:

2024

Country:

France

Language:

French

Genre:

Drama | Live-action

Runtime:

20 minutes

Production: IN POST-PRODUCTION

Synopsis

Haunted by the desire to do good, a military doctor, Sabrina, repatriated to France after an injury, struggles with physical pain and emotional isolation. As she becomes obsessed with her past accomplishments, her reclusive life takes a dark turn, blurring the line between heroism and obsession.

Cast

Technical crew

Festivals

Why we love it

With a strong mastery of direction, SHELLSHOCK humbly portrays post-traumatic stress. The character of Sabrina has integrated, joined the army and found meaning in her life as a war hero as an army doctor. But she lost everything. Rafi El Watik succeeds in sharing with us the pain of losing what we thought made sense.

About the director

Born in Marseille, Rafi El Watik has always been fascinated by Art as a means of expression. Initially, he was passioned by painting and music. During his teenage years, cinema started to be his passion. He considered that this discipline was at the crossroads of all the arts that he liked. In order to perfect his technique and his knowledge he integrated a film school.

After graduating from the EICAR in Paris, he started working in television production where he participated in the production and filming of several documentaries. These first steps allowed him to sharpen his eye and to bring his work towards a more aesthetic approach.

In 2017, in parallel of directing fashion and music video, Rafi El Watik has written his first short film Guerre Chaude (Shellshock).

With his desire to film the ordinary in an extraordinary context, Rafi wanted to question the treatment of Good and Evil and how the mechanism of the "pyromaniac firefighter" could be approached in cinema.

In 2022, after five years of research and work, Rafi El Watik has financed, produced and directed Shellshock.

Intention Note

Rafi had the will to tell the story of a repatriated military doctor who is trying to regain control of her life, and who is struggling with her war traumas. It's a film about invisible disabilities and how they can take over and rule our lives.

Why we love it

With a strong mastery of direction, SHELLSHOCK humbly portrays post-traumatic stress. The character of Sabrina has integrated, joined the army and found meaning in her life as a war hero as an army doctor. But she lost everything. Rafi El Watik succeeds in sharing with us the pain of losing what we thought made sense.