LOU

TitleLOU
BrandLA REDOUTE
Product/ServiceFASHION RETAIL
Category A02. Script
Entrant FRED & FARID PARIS, FRANCE
Idea Creation FRED & FARID PARIS, FRANCE
Idea Creation 2 FRED & FARID PARIS, FRANCE
Production QUAD STORIES Paris, FRANCE
Production 2 MASSIVEMUSIC Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production 3 BENZENE MUSIC Paris, FRANCE
Post Production FIX STUDIO Paris, FRANCE
Credits
Name Company Position
Olivier Lefebvre Fred & Farid Paris President
Séverine Autret Fred & Farid Paris Managing Director
Yann Rougeron Fred & Farid Paris Creative
Yann Rougeron Fred & Farid Paris Creative
Olivia Abols Fred & Farid Paris DGA
Anthony Bober Fred & Farid Paris Social Media Lead
Sayde Bayrak Quad Stories Producer
Aurélien Mérigaud Fred & Farid Paris Agency Producer
Grégoire Bazin Fred & Farid Paris New Business Manager
Pierre Carnet Quad Stories Music Supervisor
Youenn Denis Quad Stories Graphist
Benjamin Desplanques Quad Stories Sound Post-Producer
Amélie Poisson La Redoute Brand Supervisor
Mélanie Dufour La Redoute Brand Supervisor
Marie Guillemot La Redoute Brand Supervisors
Valentin Gerardin Quad Stories Assistant producer
Maylis Lasagesse La Redoute Brand Supervisor
George Lechaptois Quad Stories Cinematographer
Géraldine Nakache Quad Stories Director
Camille Lipmann Quad Stories Line Producer
Claire Prudhomme Quad Stories Post Producer
Arthur Paux Quad Stories Color Grader
Dorian Rigal-Ansous Quad Stories Editor

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

The heroine of the film is a 14-year-old girl named Lou, who lives with her divorced father every other week in an apartment in a large French town. Happy and full of life, Lou has a little routine with her dad, until the day his new partner moves in with him. With subtlety and accuracy, the film describes the new tensions that arise between the father and his daughter around the newcomer, whom Lou categorically rejects. By way of small, concrete actions, and thanks to the products purchased on the La Redoute website, the girl will gradually find a place in her heart for her father’s new partner and thus rebuild a new family. Concluding with the sentence "Learning to live together has never been so important," which resonates so much in these troubled times, the film powerfully echoes the daily life of modern families with emotion and authenticity.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

"Lou" is above all, a film that pays tribute to women and reinforces the values of La Redoute, an online sales platform for furniture and ready-to-wear fashion. For over 180 years in France, the brand has aspired to be close to women and families throughout the ups and downs of their lives. In a time of unstable global health where community tensions continue to increase, the brand is spreading a message of solidarity and generosity through the emotions and experiences of women, inviting us to strengthen our social ties and learn to live together. Based on the model of a reconstructed French family, in tune with current events, with women in front of and behind the camera; the film was directed and set to music by two true figures of the new generation of female artists in France, an explosive duo that gives the film a real feeling of sincerity.

Provide the full film script in English.

1. OUTSIDE. PAVEMENT CAFÉ IN A CITY. DAYTIME. DAVID (42 years old) is sitting at a table outside. He suddenly jumps up and starts madly waving his arms in the air, as if stranded on a desert island. A young girl, LOU (14 years old), is crossing the road, pulling a wheelie bag behind her. She inevitably spots her father, who is, as usual, completely overdoing it. She goes over to join him. They haven’t seen each other for a week. 2. INSIDE. DOWNSTAIRS IN DAVID’S BUILDING. DAYTIME. LOU and DAVID are getting ready to have a race at the bottom of the stairs. LOU: “Wait Dad! Wait for it to close!” Inside a glass-doored lift, we see LOU, obviously desperate to reach the 5th floor before her father. The lift arrives and LOU pushes the door open at exactly the same moment as DAVID arrives by the stairs. DAVID and LOU (AT THE SAME TIME): “Beat you! I BEAT YOU!” LOU: “NO YOU DIDN’T!!” DAVID (INTERRUPTING): “YES I IDID!!” 3. INSIDE. DAVID’S APARTMENT. DAYTIME. They open the door to the apartment and DAVID holds LOU’s arm up in the air like a referee at a boxing match. DAVID: “YOU’RE THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!! YAY! MY DAUGHTER’S HERE.” There are piles of boxes stacked up in the entrance, marked “BOOKS”, “BATHROOM”, “SHOES” … and a big blue suitcase on wheels. LOU’s face drops the moment she sees them and she walks off, abandoning her own little case next to the big one. DAVID sees her change in mood and panics: DAVID: “I WANTED TO TELL YOU… HEY LOU, I TOLD YOU SHE WAS GOING TO MOVE IN…” 4. INSIDE. DAVID’S DINING ROOM. EVENING. DAVID and LOU have just sat down to dinner. SOPHIE, DAVID’s new girlfriend walks up to them holding a jug of water. She offers to fill LOU’s glass, but the girl doesn’t even bother to reply. SOPHIIE shakes her head to DAVID letting him know that it doesn’t matter… 5. INSIDE. DAVID’S BATHROOM. DAYTIME LOU is dressed and ready, sitting near the bath, staring down at her phone. There’s a knock at the door. SOPHIE (OFF SCREEN): “LOU?” LOU (COLDLY): “I’VE NOT FINISHED” 6. OUTSIDE. IN FRONT OF LOU’S SCHOOL. DAYTIME. LOU comes out of the school with a couple of FRIENDS (14 years old). They’re laughing and giggling. 7. INSIDE. LOU’S BEDROOM AT DAVID’S. EVENING. LOU’s suitcase is open on the floor. LOU is lying on her bed texting her FRIENDS. DAVID (OFF SCREEN): “DINNER’S READY!!!” LOU doesn’t react, just continues to laugh as she replies to an SMS. SOPHIE (OFF SCREEN): “LOU, DINNER’S READY!!!” LOU throws a cushion at the door. It knocks over a little lamp which smashes onto the floor. She’s shocked by what she’s done. 8. INSIDE. DAVID’S APARTMENT. EVENING. SOPHIE is on the La Redoute website looking to see if she can find the lamp. 9. OUTSIDE. CITY BUS STOP. DAYTIME. LOU and her girlfriends are waiting for the bus. They’re filming each other with their phones doing playbacks like on TikTok. 10. INSIDE. LOU’S BEDROOM AT DAVID’S. DAYTIME. LOU notices the lamp is there and brand-new. There’s also a cupboard to put her clothes in. ELLIPSIS There’s a knock at LOU’s bedroom door. SOPHIE comes in carrying a mug of hot chocolate. LOU doesn’t look up from her phone. SOPHIE places the mug on the bedside table and goes to the door, turning on the new lamps as she passes. LOU notices but doesn’t react. SOPHIE nods and leaves the room with a hint of disappointment. 11. INSIDE. MASTER BEDROOM AT DAVID’S. EVENING. SOPHIE and DAVID are in bed. SOPHIE is showing DAVID a pair of Converse on the La Redoute website. 12. INSIDE. LOU’S BEDROOM AT DAVID’S. DAYTIME. SOPHIE and DAVID creep into LOU’s bedroom first thing in the morning, carrying a birthday cake with a huge sparkler on it. SOPHIE AND DAVID (WHISPERING): “Happy birthday!” LOU opens her eyes and looks delighted. ELLIPSIS LOU opens the box from La Redoute. It contains a pair of Converse trainers. She is over the moon and hugs her father tightly. DAVID nods towards SOPHIE discreetly, letting his daughter know that the gift was her stepmother’s idea. 13. OUTSIDE. IN FRONT OF LOU’S SCHOOL. DAYTIME. LOU arrives at school. The moment she sees her FRIENDS, she shows off her new trainers. FRIENDS 1&2: “I lurvvvve them!!!” 14. INSIDE. DAVID’S LIVING ROOM. DAYTIME. LOU and SOPHIE are sitting on the sofa looking at a home decor magazine. SOPHIE points at a piece of furniture, asking LOU if she likes it. DAVID comes to join them. SOPHIE discreetly tries to get him to leave them alone, but DAVID is so happy with this new complicity that he settles in next to them. DAVID nudges SOPHIE, letting her know he thinks “it’s the right moment”. LOU (WHO CAN TELL SOMETHING’S GOING ON): “What?” DAVID nods again at SOPHIE, who, feeling pressured, puts her hand on her stomach. DAVID places his hand on hers … SOPHIE is pregnant. DAVID looks at LOU, desperate for her approval, but she freezes. SOPHIE gives DAVID a look as if to say: “I told you so!”. LOU turns away. 15. OUTSIDE. PAVEMENT CAFÉ IN A CITY. DAYTIME. LOU is pulling her suitcase towards the pavement café where DAVID is sitting. He hasn’t seen her and looks deep in thought. LOU hopes for their usual joking around, but nothing happens. 16. INSIDE. DAVID’S LIVING ROOM. DAYTIME. DAVID is putting the baby’s cot together. SOPHIE is watching, looking very pregnant. LOU comes out of her bedroom and sees that her father is busy. Irritated, she returns to her room. 17. INSIDE. DAVID’S BUILDING. DAYTIME. LOU is on her own in the lift with her suitcase. DAVID runs up the stairs. LOU comes out of the lift, not caring who beat who this time. 18. INSIDE. LOU’S BEDROOM AT DAVID’S. DAYTIME. LOU is lying on her bed, staring at her phone. She gets a text from SOPHIE: “Hi, you hungry?” signed with a whale emoji. LOU smiles but carries on with what she’s doing without replying. We can see she’s on the La Redoute website. 19. INSIDE. DAVID’S LIVING ROOM. DAYTIME. The doorbell rings. LOU comes running out of her bedroom. She opens the door by pressing the interphone. She gestures to DAVID that it’s for her. She opens the door. A DELIVERY GUY (24 years old) hands her a La Redoute package. SOPHIE, lying on the sofa, looking huge, watches LOU, who rushes back into her room, hiding the package and giving her father a knowing wink. SOPHIE has given up trying to understand her stepdaughter. 20. INSIDE. BABY’S BEDROOM AT DAVID’S. DAYTIME. LOU delicately places an adorable cuddly toy in the baby’s cot. LOU hears a noise. She jumps and turns. SOPHIE is there. LOU looks down guiltily and moves away from the cot, caught in the act. SOPHIE walks towards the cot and sees the cuddly toy. Overcome with emotion, they stare at each other. SOPHIE instinctively takes LOU into her arms and they hug in silence. LOU can’t hold back her tears. From the doorway, DAVID watches them embrace, visibly moved by the scene. Ending: Learning to live together has never been so important. La Redoute. Home and fashion for family life.