Award Rationale

END (IT) receives the Best Film award for transforming a familiar creative crisis into a formally assured exploration of perception, isolation, and the unstable boundary between inner and outer reality. Novac’s attempt to complete a screenplay becomes a succession of psychological states in which the visible world gradually absorbs the pressure of his mind.

Jean-Marie Villeneuve deliberately moves beyond classical realism and constructs the film as a psychological labyrinth. Precise, often constricting framing, carefully controlled lighting, and the contrast between the confined Paris apartment and the apparent openness of the countryside give visual form to the protagonist’s disorientation. The editing sustains the dialogue between external action and subjective experience, creating a cinematic language that remains faithful to the film’s central idea.

Beneath its fragmented surface, the screenplay retains a clear dramatic progression while unfolding with the associative freedom of an essay. The restrained performances, visual composition, direction, and rhythmic control work as a unified whole. Through the confidence of its form and its ability to turn an individual creative impasse into a resonant cinematic experience, END (IT) earns the Best Film award.

Synopsis

Novac, a 40-year-old writer, is unable to move forward with his screenplay. A noisy neighbour, a cramped apartment, and an overstimulated Paris constantly disrupt his concentration. All he wants is to finish the script so that he can finally step outside and simply live.

When his producer rents him a large house in the countryside where he can work in peace, a glimmer of hope returns. Yet the distance from the city opens the door to another, more uncertain confrontation with himself and his creative process.