« New Squam City» by Quentin Trélet

New Squam City is a visually captivating and bold experiment combining architecture with cinematic storytelling. Directed, written, and produced by Quentin Trélet, this thriller takes viewers into a dystopian urban maze, where towering skyscrapers become silent antagonists, shaping the lives of those beneath their shadow.

The film follows Thomas (Thomas Powles), a cameraman who regularly films underground parties. After the mysterious disappearance of a woman during a rave on 01-01-00, Thomas embarks on a personal investigation, armed only with a grainy video recording of the event and an enigmatic drawing of a desert. As he delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a far more sinister force at work, an entity intent on burying the truth, forcing Thomas to question the very nature of reality.

Set against the cold, sterile backdrop of a nameless, faceless city, New Squam City offers a daring critique of modern urban environments, where history and nature are erased, and human connection is reduced to fleeting encounters. The city itself, portrayed as a closed system devoid of randomness or life, mirrors the internal isolation of its inhabitants. Architecture plays a central role in the narrative, becoming a living, breathing character that exerts its influence on the story, a concept inspired by iconic works like Blade Runner and Playtime.

One of the film’s most striking choices is the complete absence of dialogue. The story is told entirely through visual and auditory cues, forcing the audience to interpret the clues along with Thomas. This reliance on imagery and sound heightens the film’s sense of unease, drawing viewers into a world that is both familiar and alien. The stark, noir-inspired cinematography and minimalist sound design further amplify the atmosphere of isolation, reinforcing themes of memory, identity, and the inevitable impact of our surroundings.

Shot over three years with a modest budget of just €20,000, the film’s minimalist production becomes one of its strengths. Filming took place across a range of locations, from the urban sprawl of Paris to the vast Sahara desert. Despite these constraints, Trélet and cinematographer Thomas Powles create an immersive world where the suffocating presence of the city looms large in every frame.

Trélet’s first feature film is a work of well-established visual storytelling and architectural critique. It leaves us to ponder the consequences of modern urbanism and its impact on human life and memory, engaging his audience to attend to the world being built around us.