As seen in past Midnight Madness selections, something sinister and strange is growing in French cinema. Vibrant new voices in horror are emerging and there is a parallel movement of dark cyber science fiction. Eden Log is the freshest example of this burgeoning genre.
In a murky cave deep below ground, Tolbiac (Clovis Cornillac) wakes up naked and disoriented. Pulling himself up from the mud, he is cold and hurt, and has no idea who he is, what brought him there or what happened to the dead man lying next to him. Digital phantoms appear and inform him of a paradise known as Eden Log, a community sustained by energy drawn from the twisted roots of a mammoth tree. His journey propels him through a labyrinthine network of tunnels and abandoned laboratories as he discovers he is not the only one trapped in this tomb-like underworld. Pursued by ravenous mutants and phantoms, he meets a female botanist who may provide clues to his identity, the brutal force that rages within him and the vital part he plays in a project that could threaten the very existence of mankind.
In this stunning sci-fi vision, first-time director Franck Vestiel has created a decaying universe for his bewildered yet resourceful hero to explore. Eden Log reflects the immediate modern influences of both role-play video games and the works of Luc Besson, Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Darren Aronofsky. It also channels the rich visual history of French comics, or bandes dessinées, from magazines like Métal Hurlant and its American counterpart, Heavy Metal. The underworld created by Vestiel bears as much comparison to Gustave Doré's engravings for Dante's Inferno as to the surreal, futuristic landscapes envisioned by artists like Moebius, Philippe Druillet and Enki Bilal.
Using a muted palette, Vestiel has crafted a stark and striking reality where unknown terror lurks in every corner. Following other recent French sci-fi films, Eden Log is a hallucinatory parable and a warning that our relentless exploitation of natural resources could incite nature to fight back.
Colin Geddes
Franck Vestiel was born in Paris. He served as assistant director on Marc Caro's Dante 01 (08), David Moreau and Xavier Palud's Ils (06) and Pascal Laugier's Saint Ange (04). Eden Log (07) is his first feature film.