Dear Brit,
My name is Olivier, I'm 32, from France, and for the past 5 years, I have been self-producing my first feature film Ψ (psi). I wanted to reach out to you because this project was in large part initiated by my experience watching your film, Another Earth - and it's incredibly close to themes you have developped throughout your career, especially in The OA. Now that the film is almost done, I wanted to thank you and share the project with you (the film is at the bottom of the page).
What's it about?
​Ψ is an experimental film exploring the question of choice, free will and our place in the universe. It tells the story of a psychologist who goes to meet 5 "parallel lives" of one of her patients to try and understand how each one, having made different choices in the past, became who they are. Doing so brings her to question her own past and why she never pursued her own lifelong ambition to become an actress.  The film is set across 5 countries (Paris, London, Jerusalem, Helsinki and Los Angeles), featuring scientists such as Max Tegmark (MIT) and Barry Schwartz (Berkeley), and exploring landmark works of contemporary art.
Why this means a lot to me
Back in 2014, I was studying politics & philosophy at university while freelancing as a translator, but my instinct was urging me to not set aside my lifelong ambition to be a filmmaker. And in the space of a week, I saw two films that led me to make a change: The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick, and Another Earth.  Viewing your film and how you'd made it with Mike Cahill was a wake-up call, because I felt you had made a film I had been thinking about for years and been waiting for. The fact you had made it with a DIY approach gave me the confidence to change course and embark on this journey.
I finished shooting almost 3 years ago, and it took me over 2 years to edit. I recently watched the OA Part II, and it seems our minds have been exploring similar paths. Beyond the themes, science and philosophy, here are a few direct, visual examples:
  • "psi" opens on a quote from Borges' "Garden of Forking Paths." Gardens and trees are a central throughout the film.
  • two other core themes in the film are, somehow, mirrors and staircases. The whole film is structured as a reflection.
  • the idea of places being connected through spacetime - in psi, this is mainly conveyed through artwork and architecture creating bridges between the five cities of the film.
If you like the project, would you consider being the narrator... another you?
Last year, MIT held a test screening and I was glad to see that the press reception was positive. I also recently met a producer in France, Eve Brémond (founder of Box Fish Productions - a word from her at the end of this page) who has now joined forces with me to help get over the finish line. I'm not sure what will come of all this yet (festivals? platforms?), but if you like the project, would you consider being the final piece of the puzzle and being the main voice of the film: its narrator?
Why you?
Given all of the above, it just brings the project full circle in the most perfect way. Your own trajectory, professional choices and interests reflect the themes of the film, and tie into the narrative reason I'd like you to be the voice of this psychologist: in the current version of the film, she's called Natalie Forester and is voiced by a friend. But really, this psychologist would actually be… you - a parallel version of you, the Brit Marling you could be today if you had studied psychology at Georgetown instead of economics and not gone on to become an actor and filmmaker. That way the audience, recognizing you in this life, would know how your "psychologist" self would have turned out if she had pursued her passion. And I just think that's really cool.
How would this go? 
  • This would only be voice-over.
  • The recording could take as little as a half-day.
  • It can be done at a time and place that is convenient for you.
  • I'm open to suggestions and changes to your character's lines.​
In any event, I hope this project reaches you - the full film is below. ​Feel free to ask me anything about the project or what I hope I comes of it. It would be a real pleasure to exchange with you. ​

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Olivier

[email protected]
17 rue Joseph Dijon, 75018, Paris
www.o-wright.com
+33.(0)6.51.53.53.62.
Watch the film here (password: psi2019)
link: https://vimeo.com/286524385​ password: psi2019

A word from Eve Brémond, producer

​Hello Brit,

My name is Eve Brémond, I founded Box Fish Productions, a production company based in France, after working in distribution for several years. I met Olivier in December 2018, through a mutual friend in our hometown of La Baule, a small town on the West coast of France.
 
At the time, he was finishing a film he’d been working on for over 4 years, called "psi," that he had made with no money and no prior experience. I was immediately intrigued. When I sat down to watch it, I could not believe what I had just seen: a true labor of love, but more importantly, a true vision.
From an artistic standpoint, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Both fictional and non-fictional, dizzying and controlled, dense and contemplative. None of it is random, not even the random parts. It’s a giant puzzle he has carefully crafted, with beautiful imagery and a deeper quest for meaning. We all wonder: what if? We all question our choices, our degree of control over our lives, our inability to be happy, our place in the universe. This film brings it all together in 86 mins, and this is why I think it deserves to be seen by a wider audience.
 
As a young female producer, this is the kind of original story I want to be a part of and support. One that doesn't wait for permission to exist, one that pushes the boundaries. After seeing his film, I definitely wanted to be a part of the adventure and do my best to get it to an audience. He told me that the final piece of the puzzle was reaching out to you, Brit Marling, to be the voice of the psychologist in the film. As I was already familiar with your work, it made perfect sense.
 
I am now here to handle this process and help Olivier with the future of this film. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did, and that you’ll agree to be a part of it, too. Thank you for your consideration,
 
Eve
[email protected]