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Whales Don’t Swim
Directed by Matthieu Ruyssen
Narrative Short
France | 22 min | 2020
Yves is the sole target of his bullying classmates. His only refuge is in synchronized swimming, which he practices nightly in secret. But when Charlotte, a fellow classmate and member of the team spies him at the pool, he will no longer be able to hide…
Director Statement
The writer and producer, Rosa SanMarchi, approached us out of the blue (digitally) to direct this film after a recommendation from a friend. Immediately after reading the script we knew it was something we wanted to work on. It was a thrilling experience to collaborate with someone new, who already had a vision for the film but was looking for other voices and opinions to bring it home. The collaborative spirit of our team really reflected what we were trying to convey on screen, that we are all better when we listen to one another.
Matthieu Ruyssen
Director
Matthieu Ruyssen was born in January 1987 in the South of France. He grew up in central France and near Paris.
Following Japanese language and culture studies, he became an editor for television and cinema, which is absolutely unrelated. He decided to write and direct when he realized that life is too short. Whales don’t swim is his first short-movie, produced by Wrong Films. They are developing together his second short-film, Big Sun.
Matthieu lives with his wife and their dog Zola in Paris, but he hopes to soon leave the city.