“SPARKS” is Virginie's third short film. The idea for the film came about when a friend emailed her a copy of an article published in a South African newspaper. The story was astonishing, could it really be true?
Beside the shocking outcome, the story offered the perfect premise for making a suspenseful short film. With the help of co-writer Kate Schultz, the team came up with an electrifying script.
Larry Banks, the seasoned DP, came on soon afterwards as the producer. Virginie and Larry had previously worked together on the making of a short for the 48 Hour Film Festival. Larry directed and Virginie came in as the editor.
Prior to directing “SPARKS”, Virginie produced, wrote, directed, and edited two other short films:
“K.622” (1997), a 15-minute narrative
short based on the French novel of the same name written by Christian
Gailly. It is the story of two strangers meeting for the first time at
a concert hall and whose lives become entangled because of Mozart's beautiful
clarinet concerto.
The great jazz clarinetist Don Byron adapted and performed the music for the film. The film was shot on 16mm and traveled to a series of festivals in the U.S.
“MIRACLE GROWTH” (2001), Virginie's second short, is a 22-minute film shot on DV. The story reveals one man's most secret fantasy as he tries to hide it from his beloved wife by instigating the most devious scheme. It was an original script loosely inspired by “The Key”, a novel written by Japanese author Tanizaki.
The film premiered in London at the Raindance film festival that same year.
In 2000, Virginie also directed a MUSIC VIDEO entitled “Birthday”. The shoot was set in a Bronx cemetery in New York. Shot on 16mm, the production called for a “Night of the living dead” style and marked her first collaboration with director of photography George Motz.
Born and raised in France, Virginie graduated from the Institute of Political Science in Paris and moved to the U.S. in 1989 on a Fulbright Scholarship. She earned a Master’s degree in TV-Film-Radio production from Syracuse University in 1990.
She's currently developping her first feature film, Tit-for-Tat, and lives and works in New York City as a freelance editor.
See sample reel.
