Focal Point, 27min., USA
Directed by Raphael Buisson
In a dystopian future, a grieving scientist discovers Earth exists within a single neuron. He launches a desperate quest across space and time to find his son.

https://raphaelbuissonenlas-cinema.squarespace.com/home-raphaelbuisson-cinema/focal-point

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

It started with a dream: our planet Earth gliding past my window. That image stayed with me, and I started imagining a universe where the smallest neuron and the largest galaxy mirrored each other—an endless spiral with no beginning or end.

As I sat with that vision, Focal Point became my way of processing loss. After losing someone close, I wanted to understand how grief, memory, addiction, and routine shape us. The film’s framework became a metaphor for cycles of repetition and the spirals we all fall into.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

The seed of the idea came about two years ago. From there, it took roughly a year and a half to fully write, develop, fund, shoot and complete post-production. Each stage had its own challenges, but the vision stayed consistent from the very first spark to the final cut.

3. How would you describe your film in two words?

Focal Point

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The greatest challenge was balancing ambition with resources. We wanted to build a world that stretched from neurons to galaxies on an independent budget of under $46,000. That meant relying on collaboration, creative problem solving and trust in the team. The hardest part was making sure the world felt credible without ever losing sight of the story. With sci fi, it’s easy to get lost in the mechanics of “does this world work?”… but if you forget the emotions and the human story at its center, it all collapses. That balancing act was the real obstacle and I hope we achieved that a little bit.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

As a filmmaker, you always hope the themes resonate, but hearing people connect so personally with both the emotional and philosophical layers of the story was humbling. It felt like the film had started a dialogue of its own, which is the most rewarding outcome I could ask for.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I think I knew as early as ten years old, when I happened to stumble upon a film set in Paris. I remember a scene of a man being shot and it struck me that cinema could be something you dedicate your life to. As I grew older, I tried to understand it more deeply, eventually leading me toward making films. That experience stayed with me, and I’ve always hoped that one day I could create that same feeling for others through film… even if only for a second.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Probably Blade Runner. Beyond its bleak dystopian vision, it speaks profoundly about love, time, memory and what it means to be human. It’s a film that never stops reminding me why science fiction is not just a genre but a language for emotions and at its best, a pure Art form.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Festivals are more than screenings… they’re incubators for new work and meeting amazing human beings. Those speaces are a chance to create more opportunities for meaningful exchanges: networking sessions, workshops with industry professionals, and even spaces where filmmakers, scientists, and thinkers can meet. It’s in those type of events that the seeds of the next project are planted.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

It’s been smooth and efficient. The platform makes it easy to discover festivals aligned with a film’s vision and the submission process itself is straightforward. I’m grateful for that.

10. What is your favorite meal?

It depends on the moment, but a meal of pasta carbonara will never fail me.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Yes, I’m currently developing a feature-length expansion of Focal Point. It will explore the same universe but through new characters and a parallel storyline, diving deeper into questions of memory, addiction, and the loops of existence. At the same time, I’m developing other projects, including a neo-noir thriller and a multi-perspective story set in a Parisian nightclub.