Between the Sand

BETWEEN THE SAND
Dir. John Picklap
Relishing the fear of the unknown, artist Jean-Paul Bourdier travels into covert desert locations to infuse the nude body, bold color, and stark landscapes producing a surreal visual effect. Like Bourdier’s work, the film transcends traditional narratives discovering something more real and true about the nature of who we are.

--------------

BETWEEN THE SAND immerses us in the life and art of Jean-Paul Bourdier: charismatic and eccentric, Professor of design at UC Berkeley, the French multimedia visionary invites us into his unexpected world, examining the nude human form’s relatedness to the Earth and challenging notions of what truth is and what narrative can be.

Filmmaker, John Picklap travels across the desert to capture Bourdier’s multimedia process of photography, painting, and sculpture to produce a surreal visual effect. The documentary explores the relationship between Bourdier's life and his art. In doing so, the film contextualizes his enigmatic photography by revealing how his beliefs inform and reflect his work.

The filmmaker plays with the notion of a work of art describing and reflecting another work of art. Picklap captures a series of moments with the artist; Bourdier asks us to listen to the language of the earth—beyond ideas, desires, and concepts, to a language of being. The documentary examines Bourdier’s process and quest to transcend the traditional narrative, to reach toward something more real and true about the nature of who we are.

**WORLD PREMIERE AT AFI DOCS**
Washington, DC

**WINNER BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY AT LOS ANGELES LIFT-OFF FILM FESTIVAL**

**BAY AREA PREMIERE AT MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL**

**EUROPEAN PREMIERE AT AMSTERDAM LIFT-OFF FILM FESTIVAL**

**FRENCH PREMIERE AT PARIS LIFT-OFF FILM FESTIVAL**

**NOMINEE AT LIFT-OFF GLOBAL NETWORK SEASON AWARDS**
Pinewood Studios, London

You can view Jean-Paul Bourdier's work at jeanpaulbourdier.com

Cast: John Picklap, Aled Roberts, Toros Köse and Kingkan Siripiriyakul

Tags: photography, hasselblad, jean-paul bourdier, body art, performance art, desert, documentary, profile, artist, life, existentialism, philosophical, elemental, nature, environment, award winning, dance and 5D mk iii