In a quiet rural Quebec community, the sudden disappearance of a young man sends shockwaves through the town. Until three local hunters track down the perpetrator, and present the grieving mother the opportunity of revenge. With Les battues (The Fading), writer/director Rafaël Beauchamp crafts an unsettling thriller that questions guilt, forgiveness and vengeance, all set against an atmosphere that echoes the darkness at the core of his narrative.

Beauchamp shared with us that The Fading was actually inspired by real events in his hometown of Quebec City in 2020, when a man attacked six people, killing two. Out of the survivors, one later confessed that “he had forgiven the attacker, seeing him as someone forgotten by the system, and to whom he wished a transformative justice”. It’s the repercussions of that statement that struck Beauchamp most. "Despite his life-changing injuries, the masses rose against the survivor, outraged that he would choose - so quickly - to forgive”, he explained, adding that he “found the criticism directed towards him fascinating and curious”.

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"I wanted to create a film that is both anxiety-provoking and cruel, while at the same time taking a soft and contemplative approach." - director, Rafaël Beauchamp[/caption]

Citing South Korean thrillers as cinematic inspiration, Beauchamp uses genre to write violence as an omnipresent character in his narrative. Using the Quebec countryside as an anxiety-triggering canvas for his story, where the vast emptiness and harsh winters heighten the film’s unease and contrast with its quiet beauty. DP Ariel Méthot deepens the immersion, pulling the audience into the universe of the film, while subtly trapping us in Luce’s despair.

Through the frame composition and the camera movement, the film pulls us deep into Luce’s mind, making the rush of chaotic feelings she encounters almost palpable. As we watch her get lost in the group's relentless push for vengeance, we can see it is a battle against her own will. In these moments, Beauchamp finds a terrifying way to depict cruelty and how it can spread, while also exposing the depths of Luce’s loneliness. Beneath its thriller exterior, the film actually reveals itself to be a surprisingly effective social commentary.

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Lily Thibeault stars as Luce, a grieving mother offered a chance at "revenge".[/caption]

The Fading's unexpectedly slow pace allows the violence and cruelty of the story to spread, giving us the time and space to fully process it. Editor Alexis Viau carefully crafts the perfect rhythm to the short, maintaining an unsettling darkness through the film, which lingers even after its climax. While Beauchamp condemns the violence in his story, he refuses to judge his protagonist, whom he fleshes out and grants empathy. As Luce, Lily Thibeault becomes the light in an otherwise dark film, embodying the story's moral compass as she navigates the sense of guilt, forgiveness and loss with a raw and compelling intensity.

Following its World Premiere at the 2023 edition of SXSW, The Fading went on to play at multiple festivals including Regard and the Palm Springs ShortFest, ahead of its online debut. With Beauchamp already having completed two new short films, he is now starting the development of his first feature Glass Eyes.