Black Ocean

The story

Though its aftertitles detailing the history of French nuke experiments suggest otherwise, writer/director Marion Hänsel’s Black Ocean is not a political treatise or a history lesson, instead taking advantage of the remote, isolated environments in which the experimentation took place – as well as the monumental imagery of the act itself – in order to communicate a more universal story about the power of awe. Ocean principally follows three young sailors on a French naval vessel in 1972, who are on course for an unknown destination in order to help carry out the bomb tests they’ve yet to personally witness. The film is essentially divided into two parts: before and after the blast.

Cast & crew

Adrien JolivetMoriaty

Nicolas RobinMassina

Romain David

Romain DavidDa Maggio

Alexandre de SèzeGlass

Jean-Marc MichelangeliThe lieutenant

Steve TranSchaff

Nicolas GobMayer

Antoine LaurentLining

Thibault VinçonDedeken

Grégory GatignolHatt

Stephen ScardicchioSailor