The Sun Too Close: How to Approach Schizophrenia with Sensitivity and Accuracy?

What is it about?

When he leaves the mental hospital, Basil takes refuge with his sister Sarah. She is his only family and his greatest ally in rebuilding himself. Basile, as cheerful and unstable as he is, manages to find a job and meets Elodi, a young single mother: he begins to dream of a “normal” life…

3 things you need to know about the movie

The sun is too close, the drama is approaching, with sensitivity and precision, schizophrenia. “I have always been interested in the feeling of loneliness in a family circle. Here I am dealing with paranoid schizophrenia, which most often occurs during a traumatic episode. Basile’s illness there was caused by the death of his parents. (Clément Roussier),” explains screenwriter and director Brooke Karnay.

I realized how little known schizophrenia was

“While writing, I realized how much schizophrenia is an unknown disease, to the point where it’s misunderstood that a treated patient can behave normally,” he continues in the film’s press kit. “So I added the medicine weights that appear on the screen and the sequence between Basile and his doctor to make the disease more specific.

An actor between Belmondo and Dupont

Mzee is very close to the main role of an actor who is still less seen in cinema. Clement Roussier played supporting roles (notably in Soleil battant). He was especially noticed thanks to the series Arte, so be it. Sun Too Close is his first major role. A delicate role to which he brings great sensitivity and precision. We also remember his elastic look, somewhere between Jean-Pierre Belmondo and Albert Dupont.

The first feature film selected at festivals

The Sun Is Too Close is Brook Carneil’s first feature film. The latter grew up in Roubaix, northern France, where he made his first films with childhood friends and where this feature film is set. Brooke Carnail is also a musician. He is part of the band Duel, with whom he released the albums Gunnn Express (2015) and Palma Pop (2018).

The film has been selected for several festivals, including Cabourg Film Festival, Alès Itinérances Cinema Festival, Annonay International Premier Film Festival and La Ciotat Francophone Premier Film Festival.