Anthony, Bragdo and… the Orient Lake. There are not two but three characters in “Abîmes: the world after”, the twenty-minute short film directed by Kévin Ngo, a young 27-year-old director from Aube. The film has been available on YouTube since the beginning of September and already has around 20,000 views. We barely recognize this lake, located around thirty kilometers from Troyes, very popular in summer. The postapocalyptic universe in which the two characters evolve corresponds more to the winter atmosphere.
Having attended the IUT of Troyes where he obtained a diploma in MMI (Internet and multimedia professions) and after working in post-production in Paris, Kévin Ngo returned to Troyes a few years ago. With friends he met during his studies, he runs the “Troyes Dimensions” ociation, which offers events, workshops and courses related to audiovisual.
Kévin Ngo rediscovered the Orient Lake, often frequented in his youth, in a new light. Emptied of its water and in winter, one of the largest artificial lakes in France takes on another dimension. After considering shooting his short film in the forests of Auvergne, on the land of Jay Viallet, one of the actors and screenwriter of Abîmes, Kévin Ngo opted for Lac d’Orient.
He was attracted by the photos of the site in winter taken by a friend. He then carried out various surveys to confirm his impressions. “After seeing the photos, I wanted to see what it looked like in real life. I took my car and went there at 6 a.m. in December 2021. I didn’t recognize the lake that I knew in summer! I loved the dark atmosphere there. »
Once the choice of decor had been made, Le Trojan entered the active phase of the project. “I told myself we had a year to prepare everything. » With the anxiety that the weather will play a nasty trick on the film crew. “I have a friend who is pionate about astrology. I asked him what awaited us on the filming dates. » His response was positive. Filming took place at the end of 2022. “Abîmes is a project that we have been working on for several years. There were several versions of the scenario,” emphasizes Kévin Ngo. The health crisis has been there and has given the project a new direction.
Condensed over a week, filming took place at the lake but also in a cellar for the interior scenes. Two days of shooting were necessary on the exterior sets. The film crew was reduced to its simplest form. Kévin Ngo surrounded himself with close friends like Quentin Estevez, who opposite Jay Viallet, Louis-Joseph Falcoz, his co-producer, and Axel Pozza, his director of photography. Abîmes is included in numerous short film festivals.
“This is what brings these types of films to life,” underlines Kévin Ngo. People don’t consume it naturally. Having 20,000 views in two months on YouTube surprised us. We didn’t think it would go up so quickly. » What would encourage him to make a new short film with Dawn as a backdrop?