Young Luxembourg-based filmmaker Valentine Mansy will present her independent short film R.I.P. B.F.F. at Casino Luxembourg on Wednesday, 24 June.
The film follows teenage best friends July and Penelope, who have spent years planning a trip to Amsterdam. When they meet on a bridge one morning, everything left unsaid between them finally comes to the surface, causing both the trip and their friendship to fall apart.
Mansy described the film as a story of "glitter, drama, and a bit of comedy", inspired partly by her own experiences of friendships ending during her school years. She discovered filmmaking through the Cinécourts en Herbe programme and previously directed a short film called Still Life.
Eve Stors plays July, whom she described as having "a little spark of mischief" while still being "a good person who is figuring out her life".
The production was funded in an unconventional way: Mansy raised the entire budget by selling cookies at her school. She said the idea came from previous fundraising experience in Canada.
Nearly 80% of the film's team is made up of women. Mansy said she deliberately wanted to create opportunities for women in major production roles and establish a supportive working environment.
"This is a film made by women, for women", she said.
Following the Luxembourg screening, the filmmakers hope to submit R.I.P. B.F.F. to festivals in France and elsewhere over the summer.
Listen to the interview on RTL Play.
