La Petite Mort (French Short Narrative) [Little Death]

This short film belongs to the genre of family ties. Paul is an artist, his current project is to take photos of the faces of men during orgasm. He lives with Martial, his lover. His sister Camille, who's running the family business, takes Paul to the hospital to see their father, who is dying. Paul hasn't seen him in six years. Throughout his life, he has been tormented by a photograph of himself as a baby. He believes he is incredibly ugly and rejected by his father. When his father is dying, he photographs him lying naked in his hospital bed. This is a form of revenge. After his father's death a box of family photographs is presented to Paul and he discovers the startling truth where he sees pictures of his father loving and kissing him as a baby which means the father never really thought of Paul as ugly.

This film is subtle yet disturbing, with a lot more nuances that you will find in some full length feature films. The film depicts how tension and misunderstanding can arise within a family. Paul seeks solace in his relationship with his lover Martial who assists in his photographic activities. Cast perfectly, this film is definitely worth a watch. I just wish I had a better print when I saw this one. (7/10)