L'ombre familière

This eerie film captures well the feeling of estrangement in the midst of life that was central to Camus's novels. A young couple's friend commits suicide. His death leads to a crisis for the couple as the husband finds it increasingly difficult to work as a painter.

The wife recalls their last meeting with their doomed friend, Alexandre, when all three visited a deserted swimming pool in the middle of a forest being cleared slowly for the building of homes. The same forest where she met her husband years before. The three of them explore the pool before walking its length like sentinels of a dying humankind. Eventually recovery comes when the husband decides to make a film with the swimming pool as his setting.

The film reflects on many existential concerns such as living and dying and their dynamic relationship to one another. Also creativity, authenticity and falsehood. The film reminded me of La Jetee as it shares a similar dispassionate despair about people and humanity.