“Dejeuner Sur L’Herbe,” which translates to “Lunch on the Grass,” is a 2019 short animated film co-directed by Jules Bourges, Jocelyn Charles, Nathan Harbonn Viaud, and Pierre Rougemont.
The film has striking visuals and delves into the topics of science, religion, and extraterrestrial life. It follows the story of a well-known scientist (Etienne) who experiences a life-altering encounter while on a picnic by a lake, causing him to question his beliefs and lose his sense of purpose. The incident leaves him shattered, and he challenges everything he once stood for.
The film begins with a scene where Etienne proclaims that he only trusts science until he meets Jesus Christ. From that point forward, he devotes his life to the Lord. The scene then cuts to reality, where Etienne suddenly awakens out of breath and sweating profusely.
The film then shows scenes depicting his skepticism of the world, including encounters with a fortune teller, the Illuminati, and his distrust of religion.
Etienne was a brilliant scientist who gained fame and wealth by writing a book about skepticism. His book made him famous amongst women, but the only person he had a genuine connection with was Magali, whom he had met at university. One day, while they were having a picnic, Magali was defending a subject when Etienne said something that would change everything. The sentence caused Magali to get up abruptly and leave Etienne at the lake’s shore. While sitting alone, he suddenly noticed something and saw a UFO hovering above him. Later, when he got home, he found an envelope under his door that read, “You are invited to the burial of your own convictions.”
We then go through a series of scenes that depict the broken Etienne going through the elements of grief, such as anger, denial, and guilt, ultimately ending in depression. Throughout this process, he had placed a camera by the lake, and it was this habitual ritual that he kept, keeping him alive that one day, he saw the flying saucer once again. This inspired a new hope in him. He rushes to the lake to realize e that it is the petal of a flower obscuring the camera frame so it looks like the UFO. The incident was so devastating that it prompted Etienne to address the camera, something he hadn’t done in seven years. Etienne is so overwhelmed that he tears while confessing to Magali. However, she appears unconvinced and eventually leaves, leaving Etienne in despair. The film’s conclusion is somewhat ambiguous, leaving us with a shot of a large group of people staring at the sky before cutting to black.
Watch the film below.
The Other Cinema 