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Jessica Forever

Panorama 2019
© Ecce films – ARTE France Cinéma – 2018
A blonde-haired boy crashes through the glazed wall of a suburban house and falls to the floor, unconscious. A militia of young men carries him away. They are led by a young woman, a blue-eyed, futuristic Jeanne d’Arc. They exit just as a swarm of threatening drones invades the room. A voice-over informs us that the state has deemed these boys to be violent orphans and social outcasts and the authorities are now hunting them down. What follows is a quiet but emotional story of brotherhood, angst, mutual protection, violent impulses and infinite tenderness amongst a band of hyper-masculine warriors living under the protective wing of the caring Jessica.
True to the themes of their short films, and featuring the young tribe that populates their previous works, Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel’s first feature combines a minimalistic plot, fantasy elements and hyper-realistic cinematography to create a lifelike version of a video game environment, in which alienation and isolation can only be conquered by affection. Friends forever. Love forever.
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by Caroline Poggi (Written and Directed by), Jonathan Vinel (Written and Directed by)
with Aomi Muyock, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Augustin Raguenet, Lukas Ionesco, Eddy Suiveng, Paul Hamy, Maya Coline, Angelina Woreth France 2018 French 97' Colour

With

  • Aomi Muyock (Jessica )
  • Sebastian Urzendowsky (Michael)
  • Augustin Raguenet (Lucas)
  • Lukas Ionesco (Julien)
  • Eddy Suiveng (Kevin)
  • Paul Hamy (Raiden)
  • Maya Coline (Camille)
  • Angelina Woreth (Andréa)

Crew

Written and Directed by Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel
Cinematography Marine Atlan
Editing Vincent Tricon
Sound Lucas Doméjean
Production Design Margaux Remaury
Costumes Sarah Topalian
Casting Kris Portier De Bellair
Assistant Director Caroline Ronzon
Production Manager Rodolphe Croquefer
Producer Emmanuel Chaumet
Executive Producer Mathilde Delaunay
Co-Production Arte France Cinéma Issy-Les-Moulineaux

World Sales

mk2 Films

Produced by

Ecce Films

Photos

Caroline Poggi

© Ph. Lebruman

Born in Ajaccio, Corsica in 1990, she studied at the Università di Corsica Pasquale Paoli and the Université Paris 8. She has made several short films with Jonathan Vinel; their work has frequently screened in Berlinale Shorts. Their film Tant qu’il nous reste des fusils à pompe (As Long as Shotguns Remain) won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film while their joint feature film debut Jessica Forever screened in Panorama and Eat the Night was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. In 2025, she is returning with Vinel to Berlinale Shorts with Comment ça va? while Tant qu’il nous reste des fusils à pompe (As Long as Shotguns Remain) can be seen as part of the jubilee programme “You and I Are Not Alone – Berlinale Shorts Revisited”.

Filmography (selection)

2012 Chiens; short film 2014 Tant qu’il nous reste des fusils à pompe (As Long as Shotguns Remain); short film, co-director: Jonathan Vinel 2016 Notre héritage (Our Legacy); short film, co-director: Jonathan Vinel 2017 After School Knife Fight; short film, co-director: Jonathan Vinel 2020 Bébé Colère (Baby Anger); short film, co-director: Jonathan Vinel 2022 Il faut regarder le feu ou brûler dedans (Watch the Fire or Burn Inside It); short film, co-director: Jonathan Vinel 2023 Best Secret Place; co-director: Jonathan Vinel 2024 Eat the Night; co-director: Jonathan Vinel · La Fille qui explose (The Exploding Girl); short film, co-director: Jonathan Vinel 2025 Comment ça va?; short film, co-director: Jonathan Vinel

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025

Jonathan Vinel

© Ph. Lebruman

Born in Toulouse, France in 1988, he studied editing at La Fémis in Paris and has made a number of films with Caroline Poggi, with whom he was invited to Berlinale Shorts. Their film Tant qu’il nous reste des fusils à pompe won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film while their joint feature film debut Jessica Forever screened in the Panorama and Eat the Night was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. In 2025, he is returning with Poggi to Berlinale Shorts with Comment ça va? while Tant qu’il nous reste des fusils à pompe can be seen as part of the Jubilee Programme “You and I Are Not Alone – Berlinale Shorts Revisited”.

Filmography (selection)

2014 Tant qu’il nous reste des fusils à pompe (As Long as Shotguns Remain); short film, co-director: Caroline Poggi 2015 Notre héritage (Our Legacy); short film, co-director: Caroline Poggi 2017 Martin Pleure (Martin Cries); short film · After School Knife Fight; short film, co-director: Caroline Poggi 2020 Bébé Colère (Baby Anger); short film, co-director: Caroline Poggi 2022 Il faut regarder le feu ou brûler dedans (Watch the Fire or Burn Inside It); short film, co-director: Caroline Poggi 2023 Best Secret Place; co-director: Caroline Poggi 2024 Eat the Night; co-director: Caroline Poggi · La Fille qui explose (The Exploding Girl); short film, co-director: Caroline Pogg 2025 Comment ça va?; short film, co-director: Caroline Poggi

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025