A TASTE OF INK / Compte tes blessures

 

North American Premiere • Drama • France, 2017

DCP • 2.35 • Dolby 5.1 • Color • 80 min

Written and Directed by: Morgan Simon

Cinematography: Julien Poupard

Film Editing: Marie Loustalot

Original Score: Selim Aymard, Julien Krug

Produced by: Amaury Ovise, Jean-Christophe Reymond (Kazak Productions)

Cast: Kévin Azaïs (Vincent), Monia Chokri (Julia), Nathan Willcocks (Hervé Vlanine), Julien Krug (Matthew)

International Sales: Versatile Films

 

This punchy but sensitive drama set in the Paris underground music scene marks the debut of a filmmaker to watch. On stage, post-punk singer Vincent (Azaïs) is an explosion of animal furies convulsing with emotional intensity. But back at home, with the mic unplugged, Vincent is more inclined to let his tattoos do all the talking. Since his mother died, Vincent’s feelings of alienation and disorientation have only increased. At 24, with a day job that won’t pay for his upkeep, he lives like roommates with his father Hervé. Everything changes when Hervé shacks up with a new girlfriend only a few years older than Vincent. Vincent’s anger, jealousy, and grief are soon roiling in a potent brew. But when his new “mother” becomes the object of his desire, the mix is ready to blow. Kévin Azaïs, who made an indelible impression with Love at First Fight (COLCOA 2015), brings a searing charisma to the role of Vincent.

 

Winning the special mention of the jury at the 2016 San Sebastian International Film Festival, A Taste of Ink was the culmination of themes that writer/director Morgan Simon had been developing since his 2012 short American Football. The film, which revolved around a tattooed front man for a punk band, had already raised the question of alternative culture in a society where everything is commodified. His next short, Try To Die Young (2014) centered on a father/son conflict. With a background in biology, Simon enrolled in the writing department of La Femis. His script won the 2014 Prix Junior Screenplay Grand Prize, and was subsequently developed at the workshops of the Cannes Cinefondation Atelier, the Jerusalem International Film Lab, and Emergence, which gave him the opportunity to shoot some scenes and to meet actor Kévin Azaïs.