Simon Frenay

Carpobrotus

Ile du Levant. Holidays with friends. A film about desire, love and the difficulty to express it - about loss, and loneliness.

Sweet Sixty

At sixty years old, two friends in financial difficulties are going to take advantage of their image in the fashion and advertising world. One is still beautiful, the other never was. But beyond the game of appearances, what does it really mean to be of retirement age today?

One Year, One Night

Ramón and Céline are a young couple that attended a concert at the Bataclan theatre in Paris on the fateful night of November 13, 2015. They survive the attack, but when they leave the theatre, they are no longer the same. That night leaves a deep scar on both their lives and each tries to cope.

The French Boys 4

Thirsty one night stands, confused straight boys, rooftop confessions and a ménage-à-trois that explodes with hilarious results - it's all just part of the package in this latest offering of spirited story-telling from our Gallic friends. The short films are: Discreet [Scred] (2017); Distinguished Feelings [Sentiments distingués] (2019); Rue des Roses (2012); First Love [Premier amour] (2021); The Edge [4 fromages] (2019); Without Transition [Sans transition] (2021); Fragile [Babtou fragile] (2021).

Dreaming Like Louis

On a summer holiday in the countryside, Louis and Paul spend the time alone making love throughout the day. But as Paul becomes distant, Louis finds connections in his dreams but sometimes his dreams aren't always the safest escape.

Not That Kind of Guy

Léto, a young trans and gay man, lives in a small, social housing apartment near Tours. During the day, he kills boredom on his phone from the ticket booth of a movie theater on its last legs. But where he's looking for feelings, he's only offered sex. So at night, he flees disillusionment by heading for the stars. The roof of his high-rise building is like his moped: a refuge, an escape. However, one morning, the parking lot of an ice rink becomes the setting for a life-changing encounter when he comes face to face with Hamza, a solitary employee with an enigmatic charm. The emotional disturbance is immediate. With all due respect to the scoundrels!

Don't Look Down

Four gay men and a straight woman who barely know each other find themselves in an apartment in the sky above Paris. They have all been the victim of the same domineering pervert who is locked in a room. That night, they decided to finish it. In turn, they tell each other memories that bind them to this man and enter the room to confront him. But what happens between the monster and them remains their secret.

Faces

Faces is a multi-narrative feature film set across four storylines that follow a group of characters as their lives begin to unravel. Aisha is in a marriage that has become stale. When her wish to get pregnant finally becomes reality, she receives some very unexpected news. Louie and Gaspard are a gay couple who are happily in love but when Louie’s female financée suddenly shows up in the picture, all that they hold dear begins to fall apart. Adam and Luke are best friends, but an attack on Adam at a party threatens to create a schism between them. Sindiso runs a charity for women to which she has dedicated herself. When the centre begins to have financial troubles with the real risk of closing, Sindiso has to question her fundamental motivations.

The Trial of Klara Wendel

The prisoner Klara Wendel was supposed to be deported from west to east Switzerland. But strange incidents occur during her transport, and all her companions disappear. Klara is found wearing a nun’s habit. To get to the heart of the matter, a tribunal is hastily set up in a barn. The judges want to find out how Klara has managed to escape and why she’s dressed as a nun. On trial by men, Klara somehow manages to take over and become the director of both the trial and the film.

Discreet

Two young men from the same neighborhood meet randomly. As they give each other the lowdown of their night out, an unexpected game envelops them.

Night

Shab is a story that revolves around multiple characters' search for happiness and love in a complex, unforgiving, and cold city.

Ce qui nous lie

At a family garage, on the eve of its impending closure, a customer drops off her car for a simple tune-up. There's nothing special about the car, except that it is the last.

The Forgiven

Henry and Clement are in a relationship for one month in Paris. The last night before Henry goes back to London, where he studies, Clement comes to his hotel to surprise him. But when he arrives at the door, he hears that Henry is with another man in the room...

At All Costs

Due to the relocation of their company, three former employees have taken their ex manager hostage. But when their ransom demand is rejected, they have no choice but to prove how far they can go.

Elias

Elias is a young French guy who has moved to Barcelona. In his country of origin, he has nobody but his grandmother, whom he hasn't seen for ten years. Unwillingly, he works as a prostitute in order to survive, even if he fears AIDS. The other streetwalkers, who once were his new family, now make him feel irritated and distant, even though one of them is in love with him. The only person he is fond of is a scared young boy who often goes to the parish youth club and is under the supervision of a strict priest. Perhaps that child reminds him of his childhood and has the same insecurities he had. This is what is happening to Elias: he's not satisfied with his present, while his past is a tangle of unsolved problems. What does the future hold for him?

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

A union pensioner and his wife are robbed, but find that merely getting the assailants brought to justice is not enough for their consciences.

Stretch

Christophe, a young horse racing jockey from Paris, is filled with hope and ambition. Yet after a race, he tests positive for illegal substances and is subsequently suspended from racing. He decides to move to Macau, in Asia. There his circumstances change very quickly: he wins one race after another, earning himself large amounts of money and success with women. But, his new life also brings him an ever-increasing sense of solitude. Macau has its own unspoken rules that Christophe thinks he can ignore. But events start to gain momentum as the net tightens around him. Motivated by love for an intriguing young Chinese woman, Christophe ends up gambling with his own destiny, but this time on the card tables.

Army of Crime

This gripping historical drama recounts the story of Armenian-born Missak Manouchian, a woodworker and political activist who led an immigrant laborer division of the Parisian Resistance on 30 operations against the Nazis in 1943. The Nazis branded the group an Army of Crime, an anti-immigrant propaganda stunt that backfired as the team's members became martyrs for the Resistance.