Nathan Coen
2025
France
French
fiction
coming of age | drama
19 minutes
Felix, a 9-year-old boy, is about to move. He spends his free time at a stable but has never dared to ride a horse. He admires Victoria, a twelve-year-old equestrian prodigy. However, Felix is troubled by intriguing events: he observes with concern his friend's gradual distance and notices a strange relationship between her and their coach.
Nathan Coen began his career studying architectural and art photography with his uncle. From that moment on, he knew that his career would be linked to some form of artistic expression. After choosing the audiovisual option in high school, Nathan went on to study imaging at ESRA Paris. He then began working as an assistant cameraman on films. Seeing his passion for filmmaking develop, Nathan prepared for the Ateliers du Cinéma de Beaune competition, where he had the opportunity to follow Claude Lelouch for three years, from the preparation to the screening of one of his films. It was during this training that he wrote the screenplay for the short film SILENT STABLE.
As well as directing, Nathan has been working for several years in color grading at the HD-Systems digital laboratory, further nurturing his love of images.
Nathan Coen sought to depict the complexity of the relationship between a young athlete and their coach. He explored the delicate balance of blind trust, essential for success but often prone to abuse. Coen aimed to shed light on the early signs of manipulation, which insidiously take hold over several years, eluding the perception of those around. In his exploration, he described the immense pressure experienced by children, who, silenced by fear and burdened by guilt, find themselves trapped, sometimes irreversibly.
SILENT STABLE is a much-needed child's film about the unhealthy closeness of adults and children in the world of sport. The film is a subtle and realistic testimony to sad childhood memories.SILENT STABLE is a vital film about the influence and control adults exert over children in the world of sports. Through the eyes of a young boy who lacks the words to express it but instinctively knows something is wrong, the film subtly captures the powerlessness of childhood in the face of the unspoken. Delicate and realistic, it truthfully reflects those memories where children are not equipped to speak out, yet will carry them forever.
