Para One, a highly talented French DJ, was present in Nice for the evening of October 8th. We had the privilege of attending the screening of his film Spectre: Sanity, Madness & the Family, with an exclusive concert by this exceptional musician as a bonus.
Para One, the Multi-talented Artist
Para One (whose real name is Jean-Baptiste de Laubier) has achieved great success over the past fifteen years. With this reputation, he has established his unique style, characterized by complex and poetic electro sounds. Starting as a producer, he gained independence with his solo albums, Épiphanie, Passion, and Club, among others. Para One is also deeply connected to cinema, particularly through his collaboration with director Céline Sciamma, for whom he composed the soundtrack for several films: Water Lilies, Tomboy, Girlhood, and more recently, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which won the Best Screenplay award at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival and received eleven nominations at the 2020 César Awards. Para One is also a producer and director of numerous short films.
“Spectre” – An Ambitious Audiovisual Project
After a 7-year absence, Para One made his return in 2021 with an ambitious project. Two intimately linked works, starting with Spectre: Machine of Loving Grace, his new album, and Spectre: Sanity, Madness & the Family, his first feature film. This new album once again demonstrates the artist’s immense talent. We find this atmospheric electro music, with highly contemplative music videos. The track Shin Sekai is particularly representative, with its striking Bulgarian chants reminiscent of Kenji Kawai’s score for Mamoru Oshii’s cult film Ghost in the Shell.
An Experimental Feature Debut
For this first remarkable endeavor, Para One offers us a destabilizing film. Having had the privilege to attend its screening, we were able to immerse ourselves in this abyssal work. Spectre: Sanity, Madness & the Family is a film at the crossroads of documentary and fiction. A blend of genres, with a disconcerting staging. All punctuated by the director/composer’s score that captivates us throughout the film.
