This prize winning short film, directed by Xavier Legrand, is both a heart-pounding and heart- wrenching tale of a family struggling to hold it all together.

JUST BEFORE LOSING EVERYTHING is a stunning piece of storytelling, and although it starts off slowly, it later throws you right in with its characters and commands you to feel. At first the viewer is presented with very little, and many important questions arise. Yet, just as you discover the answer to one of these questions, a thousand more take its place, keeping the suspense of this short and thrilling emotional roller coaster very much alive.

One thing that really hits home about JUST BEFORE LOSING EVERYTHING is how true this story is to hundreds of lives, and to those whose stories never usually get told in this fantastic and sincere style. The very distinct lack of a musical score, as well as the fact you can hear numerous menial sound effects usually taken out of film, give an almost documentary-like feel to the short. The use of numerous well-placed point-of-view shots, and the fact that the story plays out almost in real time places you right there in modern day France with Miriam – played incredibly and genuinely by Léa Drucker – and her children, who are also played by extremely talented young people. The acting is phenomenally realistic and brings a feeling of genuine concern to the viewer, which remains long after the silent, simple credits have finished rolling.

– Kirstie Mather
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