"La Pichenotte is the film that saved my life" - A Conversation with Director Antoine Boulanger

I recently spoke with Antoine Boulanger, director of La Pichenotte - now the only Canadian film among nearly 3,000 entries at this year's Student Academy Awards. We talked about the personal story behind the film, how he built its look and sound, and what comes next for it. Here's our conversation.

First of all, congratulations on your victory at the Student Academy Awards. When did you first think, “I need to make La Pichenotte”?

In the creative sense of the term, never. My film ideas always come to me in flashes, either through an image or music. And I know if it’s the film I need to make based on the emotional reaction I experience when I have these flashes. So, for the creative process, I just let myself be guided by my instinct until the project became an obsession and was “ready” to be developed. But if we are talking about actually making the film, that was in 2023, when I realized the hard way that I had to carve out my own place because no one was going to open doors for me. From that moment on, I started planning the shoot for the following summer.

The idea came from something very personal involving your father and your experience with his suicide attempts. How did you turn something so painful into this strange and sometimes funny world where Death becomes almost an awkward character?

I think I have a natural tendency to look for humor everywhere, especially during tragic events. In that chapter of my life, I literally imagined Death standing next to my father, not understanding why it wasn’t working. What would Death do if someone couldn’t die? Would he give up? Would he call for backup? It was from these reflections that the entire universe of the “Néant” and the character of Stéphane were created. I believe the process really stems from taking something mythological and bringing it down to a very grounded, practical reality.

Where did the idea of Death killing people with a “pichenotte” come from?

Hmm, good question... I don’t know, I think right from the very beginning of the story for the film, it was like that. I think it’s a gesture that everyone knows, everyone does at one point or another, but it isn’t associated with anything specific. Honestly, I don’t know what to answer other than: it just came to me naturally! Also, I think that in the movement of the pichenotte, there is something very gentle, given that it’s just one finger making the motion, but at the same time very firm, because a well-placed pichenotte can sting. I think this mix of gentleness and strength perfectly represents Stéphane in this universe.

 

You could have told this story as a much more straightforward tragedy. Why did you feel that dark comedy was the right way to tell it?

If I had stayed strictly in the dark or the comedic, it would have stripped away either the comedic or dramatic richness. I believe we appreciate things much more when they are contrasted; the best laughs are the ones that come after tears. And the hardest tears are the ones after laughter. Naturally, I create things that don’t easily fit into "boxes" or genre labels. I just followed my instinct and the way I wanted to tell this story.

I love the way the film takes huge questions about death and the afterlife and turns them into very ordinary things: an Excel spreadsheet, a board of directors, God retiring because he got Alzheimer’s. Why was bureaucracy such a fun way for you to imagine the afterlife?

Because bureaucracy is so stupid. Yes, I understand its utility, and whether we like it or not, our society is held together by Excel spreadsheets. I figured that if certain humans were in charge of the afterlife, they would obviously have Monday morning meetings, union conflicts, and printer problems. I also think it’s a good way to break down the mystery that scares some people. If the afterlife works the same way as our lives, why worry? At the same time, if death really works like that, it’s even scarier than hell in my opinion, haha!

You’ve talked about being very conscious of the “language” of a film: what every shot says and why it needs to be there. What kind of visual language were you looking for with La Pichenotte?

Good question! I always try to make sure the camera is in the right place. Contrary to what people say, there aren’t multiple possible places to position the camera; there is only one. For La Pichenotte, I opted for what I call a motivated camera. If the camera moves in a continuous shot or cuts to change angles, it must be motivated by the action or the emotional reality of the characters. Almost every shot was thought out in advance and plays a role in how the audience feels the story. For example, as the film progresses, the shots of Huguette feature Stéphane’s presence growing increasingly larger. This illustrates that she is accepting death entering her life. That’s just one example among others. What I love most about directing and cinema is being able to create multiple symbolic layers that tell the story without people needing to speak.

 

Philipe Poulin’s music is such an important part of the film. There’s this ominous quality to it, but it can also suddenly feel sad, nostalgic or even funny. How did you and Philippe find that particular sound for La Pichenotte? Was there a specific idea you had for the music from the beginning, or did it evolve as you worked together?

At first, I had shared a few tracks with Philipe. Philipe is an extraordinary artist who is able to immerse himself in the film’s universe, interpret it in his own way, and enrich it! So, after establishing the foundation of what I was looking for, he really created the orchestrations for the film from scratch.

Another thing we worked on a lot was how to interpret the characters’ different leitmotifs throughout the film. For example, Stéphane’s theme song plays several times, but with different variations depending on what is happening in the scene. We did the same thing for the characters of Huguette and Richard, and even La Pichenotte itself has its own musical suite that returns with different variations throughout the film. In short, one of my greatest points of pride with this film is how Philipe is able to tell the story using only the music.

There’s a moment in Stéphane’s memory where a shooter walks through the school corridor and seems to slowly take the light away with him. Later, when Stéphane reaches Laurie, the image becomes filled with light. Was that contrast something you planned from the beginning?

Yes, that was planned from the start. I was talking about contrasts earlier; seeing his daughter die before his eyes, surrounded by this blinding light, adds to the tragedy, I think.

Did you see those two moments as two different ways of representing death: the shooter taking a life, and Stéphane later being there to accompany someone through death?

Yes, death is experienced in different ways, and that is exactly where the richness and beauty of Stéphane’s character lie. He gets to accompany people, whereas for him, death was imposed. You’re the first who understood that symbolism in the film perfectly!

 

Laurie’s eyes are incredibly powerful. Megan has to communicate so much almost entirely through her gaze. How did you work with her on that scene?

Megan is such a good actress! I had a very easy time directing her, not only because we work well together and communicate on the same wavelength, but also because this was our second project together. I had the chance to work with her on my first-year film titled She Saw the Wind, an entirely silent film, so this scene was really an extension of what we had started building in the past! So that day of shooting with her was a throwback moment and a return to a certain comfort zone during a shoot that was anything but comfortable!

Hugo and Carmen have such a warm relationship in the film, even though one of them is essentially there to take the other’s life. What was it like watching their chemistry develop?

It was fantastic! Seeing these two highly talented actors with different approaches manage to create chemistry both on and off-screen was really a pleasure, and it truly shows on screen! I can’t wait to reunite with them for what comes next...!

Huguette’s monologue is probably my favorite part of the film. How did Carmen prepare for such a vulnerable scene, and what did you want from her as a director?

Good question... The most difficult challenge was synchronizing the push-in shot with the rhythm of her delivery. What I was looking for from her was authenticity, for her character to go from comic relief to the most tragic character in the entire film in the span of a few lines. She delivered it perfectly. In fact, that shot was the first time I was genuinely moved watching an actor’s performance live. A magical moment.

Did any of the actors surprise you during filming? Maybe they made a choice you hadn’t expected or showed you something about the character that you hadn’t thought about before?

I was very impressed by the consistency of Hugo’s acting. He is someone who grasped the character very well and enriched it greatly through the nuances of his performance and his silences, an incredible subtlety that I unearthed in editing. Editing his shots was a real pleasure given the range of high-quality choices he offered me.

 

You’ve also talked about putting your own savings into the film and making some very personal sacrifices along the way. Was there a moment when you stopped thinking of it as “a film I’m financing” and simply thought, “I have to make this”?

Mmh. From the start, I had the mindset that I absolutely had to make this film. It was never just "another project I’m financing"; it has always been the biggest gamble of my life so far. So, from the very beginning, I approached the project with immense pressure and huge financial stakes for myself. From the moment I made the decision to shoot the film to the creation of the poster, I was walking on a tightrope, knowing that if I failed, I didn’t know how I was going to be able to continue chasing my dream...

Looking back, what was the hardest part of making the film? And what was the most exciting part?

The hardest part was the editing. I am an editor by trade and I do have experience, but what scared me the most was making the wrong decisions; making silences last too long, or not long enough, etc. I really felt like what I was editing was set in stone and that I had to make the best choices.

The most exciting parts for me when creating a film, and particularly for La Pichenotte, are creating the film’s visual language in pre-production with my cinematographer, T. Anthony Gharzouzi, and when I receive Philippe’s music. It’s in those two moments that the magic really adheres to the film!

The film has now received an incredible amount of recognition, including the Student Academy Award. Has that changed what La Pichenotte means to you personally?

Yes, I think it’s still too early to tell you exactly how. I am very proud of the project and very proud of myself for taking the risks and believing in it despite everything. This film is both what put me on the map and what best represents my universe, but at the same time, my perception of it has changed; I don’t think I am currently able to separate the film from its success…But at the same time, I was working on another project a few days ago, storyboarding my shots with the same pencils, under the light of the same lamp I used for La Pichenotte, and I felt deeply at home. I ultimately believe that La Pichenotte might be my starting point, where I can creatively find my bearings whenever I have doubts about my other projects.

 

We’re watching the film in 2026, at a time when there is a lot of anxiety and uncertainty in the world. Do you think there is something about this particular moment that makes a story about death, loneliness and finding meaning resonate differently?

No, not really. There has always been death and loneliness in every chapter of our history. I think what makes the film feel relatable in 2026 is exactly because it is so honest in what it’s trying to convey that it becomes timeless in a way.

You’ve mentioned that you already have ideas for a series set in the world of La Pichenotte. What makes you feel that Stéphane’s story still has more to say?

If you only knew! Before making the short film, I had Stéphane’s character arc mapped out for three seasons. His adventures with Huguette only make up the first season. So, the short film is really more of a diluted version of the character than anything else... I unfortunately can’t say more, just stay tuned, Stéphane might be coming back soon...!

Emma Bayaert-Meisels’ poster and concept art have such a distinctive style, but they also made me wonder about some of the ideas that didn’t end up in the final film. For example, there are images of Stéphane and Huguette sitting in a car, apparently trying to die from the exhaust, and another of them visiting a grave, which I assumed might be the daughter’s. Were those scenes ever part of the story or were they ideas that existed mainly during the development of the film?

All the concept art reflects scenes that were cut in pre-production due to a lack of time and money. However, these scenes and ideas are still relevant and present for the potential series, which explores this universe and these characters in greater depth. Emma is a wonderful artist, passionate animation filmmaker, and her colors are an integral part of my universe.

And finally, after everything that happened, from the personal experience that inspired the film, to making it almost entirely on your own, to seeing it receive this recognition, what is La Pichenotte to you now? Is it still the story you originally needed to tell or has it become something different along the way?

What is La Pichenotte to me now? It’s simple: it’s the film that saved my life.

 

Thank you so much for your time. Congratulations on such a magnificent short film, and my sincerest admiration! You’re admirable, man!

Thank you, Héctor. I loved answering your questions. You have a remarkable sense of observation, and your questions are accurate and sensitive. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to chat again, either about this project or future ones. The pleasure was all mine.