Coeurs maudits - English

AN INDEPENDANT HAND DRAW SHORT ANIMATED MOVIE BY

PITCH

A revenant awakens from a long sleep and encounters a mysterious creature on his path…

SYNOPSIS

A revenant awakens from a long sleep, in a world unknown to him. Lost in a ruined kingdom, he meets a strange creature in distress and decides to rescue it to an isolated village… But there, nothing will go as planned.

Technical Details :

Completed: July 2025
Origin country: France
Runtime: 14:08
Language: no dialogue
Aspect Ratio: 16×9
Resolution: 1920x1080p
Frame Rate: 25 fps & 24 fps
Formats: DCP, Mov (ProRes), MP4
Sound: Stéréo

(Private link available only to programmers upon requests via contact@meissan-art.fr)

TRAILER :

MEISSAN MEHDI

CREATOR, DIRECTOR & ANIMATOR

Based in the heart of Lower Normandy, Meissan taught himself drawing and animation through numerous books and online resources, notably those of Richard Williams and Aaron Blaise, developing the fundamentals of drawing and visual storytelling. At the same time, he studied several books on screenwriting.

In 2022, Princess Alyetta was published via the Webtoon platform and received a positive reception from its readers. After earning a degree in Web Design from the Creative Tech School in Caen, Meissan participated in several conventions in Normandy and France to showcase his work, while also working on illustration commissions for artisans and retailers.

In 2025, he participated in KinoCaen, one of the largest film festivals in France, where he met Alexis Lamare and Clémentine Moser. It was there that he produced and presented his first animated short film, Alone in the Sky, entirely conceived in less than three days and warmly received by the audience.

Since 2024, he has also launched his own e-commerce site dedicated to the sale of illustrations and creations from his original universes, meissan-art.fr

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Developed in just a few months and self-produced from start to finish, Cursed Hearts is a short film I carried out single-handedly, from writing to animation, including character design, storyboarding, and final production. This film is the direct expression of my personal vision.

Through this work, I revisit the great gothic and monstrous tales (werewolves, vampires, revenants) in a new and intimate form. But behind these familiar symbols, I seek above all to explore profoundly human themes: loneliness, rejection, the quest for love, and resilience in the face of hatred and misunderstanding.

The idea for this project was born from a romantic experience where, despite my desire to help and support, this person projected their hatred onto me. Without being an autobiographical story in the strict sense, Cursed Hearts translates this intimate part of my experience into a visual and emotional adventure. My wish is to share this sensitivity through the hero, but also to arouse an ambivalent attachment towards the Mutant.

More than a linear story, Cursed Hearts is a sensory experience. The universe and the narrative are designed so that the viewer shares the hero’s loss of bearings. Everything is designed to prioritize feelings over logic, and to leave room for questions rather than answers.

This short film is intended as an opening, the first few minutes of a feature-length project in development. My ambition is to deepen this exploration of feelings and the need for love, essential to our humanity.
Through hand-drawn, raw, and scribbled animation, I seek to bring this world to life through my lines and gestures, as a direct link to the viewer’s instincts. If this film succeeds in conveying this feeling of solitude and attachment to the characters, and touching those who identify with it, then my goal will have been successful.

ALEXIS LAMARE

COMPOSER / DESIGN & MIXAGE SON

A guitarist since the age of 15, Alexis discovered a passion for music early on.
After three years at the Cherbourg Conservatory, he chose to continue his
studies on his own.
Curious to discover other instruments, he began learning the bass, keyboard, and saxophone in 2018, with the idea of composing full pieces.
This approach naturally led him to computer-assisted music (CAM) and post-production, allowing him to record himself.
He completed training in audio mixing in 2021.
Since 2024, Alexis has been recognized as an Artist-Author: he composes for videos and short films, while also offering recording and mixing services.
He also produced an album with La Caisse à Musique, in collaboration with a musician friend. A self-released EP and album are currently in preparation, with a planned release in late 2025.

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CLÉMENTINE MOSER

SINGS & VOICES

Passionate about literature and languages, Clémentine Moser first studied classical and modern literature (Hypokhâgne, Khâgne) before obtaining a master’s degree in political sociology.
In 2017, she entered the École Claude Mathieu to become an actress, alongside her operatic singing studies, which she is currently completing at the CRR in Paris. In 2021, she provided musical assistance to Xavier Brière on the creation of Le Misanthrope with the students of Group 15 at EDT91, the beginning of her work at EDT91, where she has since taught vocal and choral techniques. She is an actress, singer, and choir director for the Gabbiano
Company from 2022 to 2024.
Currently performing in Dancing Familia, a collective creation by the Nectarines Company, for which she wrote the text (on tour), she has been working since 2024 with Plein Jour on their annual opera outreach project, which takes place at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord. She continues to blend theater and operatic singing in projects with a more cabaret aesthetic, such as the Drag Opera (Avignon 2025) or À quoi bon vouloir être aimé ?«
(premiered in Paris in February 2025).

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LÉO DUMONT

VOIX

A puppeteer with the collective « faire ailleurs » and the « compagnie remue ménage » (Remouche Household Company), he is a musician with « La Caisse a Musique » and a composer-performer.

THE SOUND PART

« Since the film contains no dialogue, the sound dimension was essential to design. It had to contribute as much to the narrative and emotion as the images themselves, in order to bring this unique and imaginary world to life.

The music guides the narrative through its rich variety of themes: by turns discreet, dramatic, and epic. The songs amplify the great emotional moments and mark key points in the story, adding a human touch intended to deeply touch the viewer. The soundtrack was designed to be present without ever being intrusive, leaving room for silences and gaps in sound, which reinforce the feeling of solitude experienced by the protagonist.

Every sonic detail contributes to densifying the universe and providing valuable reference points for the viewer. The wind, almost omnipresent, embodies the oppression that accompanies the ghost, as if its only companion were nothingness.

The characters, for their part, express themselves only through gibberish, in order to convey the strangeness of their world, while occasionally bringing a slight touch of humor to this melancholic and dark canvas.

I would like to thank my collaborators for their generosity and commitment; their voluntary work was invaluable in bringing to life this sonic dimension, so essential to the film, whose final result exceeds all my expectations. «

looking a producer for a…

Feature Film !!

Currently being created, the animatic (animated storyboard) for the feature-length version is already in production. The film is expected to last approximately 2 hours and will present the continuation and outcome of this story, intended for theatrical release.
For this project, I will be looking for create a small but passionate team, in order to maintain the work entirely handcrafted, To preserve complete freedom of expression and creativity. The required budget doesn’t need to be enormous; the short film has shown that it is possible to make a quality film with limited resources, and in a very short timeframe (less than three months!).
I am convinced that this feature film could reach a wide audience thanks to its universal and deeply human themes. In an increasingly divided world, I hope, through this project, to create a direct and human connection with viewers and bring people together around a worthy cause:
feelings and love in the face of forms of oppression.

CONTACT

For interviews, press requests, and inquiries, please
contact:
contact@meissan-art.fr

Private link available only to programmers upon requests via contact@meissan-art.fr

PDF – Press Kit

Coeurs maudits – English