VRAL is currently exhibiting Merlin Dutertre’s evocative machinima Lullaby (2019). To fully appreciate the evolution of his oeuvre, we are exploring related works, including Saule pleureur (2021) and its sequel , Saule pleureur 2: Le retour (2022) which push the boundaries of machinima.
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Pikachu is sick and is forced to land with his spaceship in the real setting of Voisenon, a small village in the Seine-et-Marne department, in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. His close friends Spider-Man, Bugs Bunny and Homer Simpson come to the rescue, hoping to heal him, which requires the retrieval of magic stones. This is the premise of Merlin Dutertre’s Saule Pleureur (also known as Weeping Willow)
Made in 2021 and part of a diptych, Saule Pleureur blends YouTube-sourced footage and 3D animated renditions of beloved pop culture icons with real-world locales. The young French filmmaker was inspired by the phenomenon of Pokémon Go and the idea of iconic characters from popular culture (comic books, cartoons, and video games) literally infiltrating everyday life: what if augmented reality (AR) games became really advanced?
Dutertre merged found YouTube footage with authentic looking settings, although his goal was not hyperrealism, but something akin to magical realism. In fact, the juxtaposition of the animated characters with real-world setting highlights differences in movement and lighting among others. Dutertre’s explicit refusal of these two realms to harmonize seamlessly is intentional. He is inviting viewers to engage in a dynamic interplay between suspended willing disbelief and awareness of their constructed nature.
Matteo Bittanti
Works cited
Merlin Dutertre
Saule Pleureur, digital video color, sound, 17’ 09”, 2022, France (voice over: Ayumi Roux, Thomas Yonnez; mixing; Hugo Corbel)
Saule pleureur 2: Le retour, digital video, color, sound, 16’ 38, 2022, France [dubbing: Arthur Blanchard (Spider-Man, Tiplouf), Giulia Enaud (Goupix); sound design: Thomas Debeugny; soundtrack: Allan Fournier]
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