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Josie Goes To War

Josie falling for a Napoleon Bonaparte impersonator makes the 19th and 21st centuries collide.

synopsis

Josie (25), a modern-day French-Belgian woman, wakes up one day to discover a thousand Napoleonic soldiers outside the café where she works. They have come to re-enact the great battle of Waterloo. Josie offers a scooter ride to an anxious American man running late for the event, Paul Weiss (50), only to discover that he is the world’s most famous Napoleon impersonator. A curious tension arises between them as Josie tries on a soldier’s uniform under his orders, and dives into a universe where she can be whomever she wants, hero or villain. But reenactment is more codified than she thinks, and Josie makes a big mistake on the battlefield that puts her in a difficult position. To save her place, Paul suggests that she takes on a more normative role: Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s empress and great love. She embarks on a romantic relationship with Paul... Or Napoleon? The line between role-play and reality blurs, as Paul begins to show possessive tendencies, and Josie channels her manipulative charm. Will Josie break free from the historical script, or will she lose herself in the part?

Director’statement

Josie Goes To War is inspired from my personal encounter with one of the two official Napoleon Bonaparte impersonators. The film is set in the present day, within the cinematic world of Napoleonic reenactment I have been actively investigating since 2019. Its grandiose battles and peculiar rituals serve as the backdrop for an intimate, dark, yet beautiful love story in costume – a fictional realm where two seemingly different individuals can connect. The characters, Josie and Paul, navigate a world where their roles can both empower and constrain them, mirroring the dynamics of the legendary relationship between Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais. Even if the film offers an immersion into a sinister world, I intentionally incorporate an absurd and comic tone, allowing for playful reinterpretations of period drama codes. Through anachronisms, the film reveals the historical narratives that shape our understanding of love, power, and gender identity.

TFL PROGRAMME:
ScriptLab 2024

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