l’Amour des Moules
A creative documentary about the mussel and the people who play an important role in her life. This remarkable documentary approaches the timeless and extraordinary symmetry between living organisms and humans. Mussel and mankind are mirrored throughout the documentary in moments that highlight the mystery, beauty and cruel inevitable fate of a lifecycle. Birth, hope, love and death.
A documentary by Willemiek J.A. Kluijfhout
synopsis
In the overwhelming world of sound and image, we see a unique similarity between the struggle to survive above water and that of the mussels below water. Filming using unique nature recordings, this documentary shows the life of the mussel from its conception to its death. During that picture-story, we meet several people who have a special relationship with the mussel. They show us another way to look at the mussel. They also tell their own struggles in life. They show passion, inventiveness, humor and how they try to make life manageable.
We meet a mussel sexologist who initiates the spectator into the sexual world of the mussel. In a laboratory she gets mussels ‘in the mood’. Then, the excited male mussel sprays his seed in the water and moments later the female will follow. It turns out during the movie, that she herself is pregnant from a musselman.
The gynaecologist breaches around 200 times the safe barriers of the uterus to perform fetal surgery. Unfortunately induction of a membrane defect inherently puts the pregnancy at risk. Interestingly, the mussel produces a unique glue that can stick in wet conditions. If Jan Deprest could use this mussel glue to close the membrane defect the mussels could save lives.
Mussels grow mainly in the Wadsea in the North of Holland. The protectors of the Wadsea will, for environmental reasons, no longer allow mussel fishermen in their waters. The traditional musselman is convinced that the mussel is the food of the future, environmentally friendly and sustainable. How does he prove that before his company ceases to exist?
Each year Zierikzee elects in a secret ballot a mussel princess. However, not that many young girls are still living in the village of mussels. Who will be this year’s mussel princess? What girl will wear the golden mussel crown?
In the documentary, major themes in the life of a mussel life and that of humans who relate to the mussel emerge: birth, death, love and survival. In the way people in the documentary watch the mussel, their own life is reflected. As a spectator, you will witness the desire to control nature, to make reality predictable and existence bearable.
production
L’AMOUR DES MOULES is produced by Trueworks (NL) and Associate Directors.
With the support of Dutch Film Fund, Media Fund and Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Omroep Zeeland, Provincie Zeeland, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.
Shooting Format: 35 mm
Delivery Format: Digital Cinema
Status: In production
Release: September 2012
