- COMING SOON IN 2021 -
Ever wondered what your life would be like if things had gone differently?
If you had pursued your passion? If you hadn't met that person? If you had taken that job opportunity?
Perhaps you would be happier today. Or poorer. Or famous.
Or what if, in fact, things could not possibly have been any different?
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SYNOPSIS
After leaving high-school, Olivier was unable to chose what life to lead. Since then, he has spent years locked away in an empty appartment, watching movies as avatars for real life. To help him out of his paralysis, a mysterious woman shows him who he could have become in 5 other lives, and gives the opportunity to trade places with one. Will he chose the filmmaker in Paris, the lawyer in Helsinki, the UN worker in Jerusalem, the bartender in London or the homeless shelter resident in Los Angeles?
To help him choose, in each of these five lives, she tries to understand: How much did he control his trajectory? What choices did he make and why? What are his regrets? And most importantly, is he happy? Along the way, though, she must reconsider her own intuitions about human freedom and come to terms with her own past choices.
The film takes us on a journey through the 5 cities as real-world scientists including Max Tegmark (cosmologist, MIT), Daniel Dennett (philosopher, Tufts) and Barry Schwartz (psychologist, UC Berkeley) provide insights on free will, the nature of the universe and the psychology of choice and regret.
To help him choose, in each of these five lives, she tries to understand: How much did he control his trajectory? What choices did he make and why? What are his regrets? And most importantly, is he happy? Along the way, though, she must reconsider her own intuitions about human freedom and come to terms with her own past choices.
The film takes us on a journey through the 5 cities as real-world scientists including Max Tegmark (cosmologist, MIT), Daniel Dennett (philosopher, Tufts) and Barry Schwartz (psychologist, UC Berkeley) provide insights on free will, the nature of the universe and the psychology of choice and regret.
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"Wright's ambitious docu-drama-essay “Ψ” (Psi) begins with a quote from “The Garden of Forking Paths,” Jorge Luis Borges’s story about the multiplicity of destinies and the enigma of choice. It’s a bold reference, but he works to earn it."
Peter Keough, The Boston Globe (review)
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CAST
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OLIVIER WRIGHT In the film: Olivier, in the 6 parallel lives. In real life: Filmmaker. PSI is his first screen credit. |
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MYRIAM AJAR (voice)
In the film: the woman who's helping Olivier. In real life: Myriam Ajar is a French actress who has worked extensively in film, television and theatre. She is also reknowned for her performances as a voice-over artist, working in film, radio and also narrating audiobooks. http://www.myriam-ajar.com/ |
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CAROLINE FAUVET In the film: Caroline, in London she's an aspiring actress & Olivier's best-friend/lover; in Paris, she's a successful actress & Olivier's wife. In real life: Caroline Fauvet is a French actress known for Je Suis Branché(s) (2016) and Géronimo (2014). Recently, she has been writing and developing her own projects. http://carolinefauvet.com/ |
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MARIE LEFEVERE In the film: Mary, an ICRC delegate and Olivier's girlfriend in Jerusalem. In real life: Marie Lefèvre is a French political analyst. She studied political science at Université Panthéon-Assas, where she became friends with Olivier. PSI is her first film credit. |
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THOM LEFEVRE In the film: Thom, a bartender, Olivier's coworker and roommate in London. In real-life: Thom Lefèvre is a French Actor who studied at the Cours Florent school in Paris. He's performed in several short films as well as on stage, in "Sallinger" by Koltès. Thom and Olivier are best friends since high-school. https://thomlefevre.wixsite.com/officiel |
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PAUL MARINUCCI In the film: Paul, a corporate lawyer and Olivier's boyfriend in Helsinki. In real life: Paul Marinucci is a French executive working for a major French pharmaceutical company. A trained musician, he composer part of the score for the PSI Web Series. He is high-school friends with Olivier and Thom Lefèvre. PSI is his first film credit. |
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IGGY RODRIGUEZ In the film: Olivier as a child. In real life: Iggy is a French-American teenager living near Pornichet, France. PSI is his first screen credit. |
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DANIEL DENNETT is an American philosopher, writer and cognitive scientist. He is the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies and Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University. Known for his positions on consciousness, free will and secularism, he is widely considered one of the greatest living philosophers.
BARRY SCHWARTZ is an American psychologist who is Professor at UC Berkeley and Emeritus Professor at Swarthmore College. He's the author of the bestselling books The Paradox of Choice (2005) and Why We Work (2015) and frequently editorialist in The New York Times. His TED talk on the paradox of choice and his TED talk on practical wisdom have been viewed over 13 million times.
MAX TEGMARK is a Swedish-American cosmologist, professor at MIT, scientific director of the Foundational Questions Institute and co-founder of the Future of Life Institute. He is a prominent voice in the media on topics such as the nature of reality, parallel universes, consciousness and artificial intelligence. He is the bestselling author of Our Mathematical Universe (2015) and Life 3.0 (2018).
ROBERT KANE is an American philosopher, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is considered the leading philosopher arguing for a libertarian kind of free will.
ALFRED MELE is an American philosopher and Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He is also the Director of the Philosophy and Science of Self-Control Project and past director of the Big Questions in Free Will Project (2010-2013).
GIORGIO CORICELLI is an Italian economist and psychologist who is professor at the University of Southern California. His areas of research include the role of counterfactual emotions, such as regret and envy, in decision making.
BOB DOYLE is an American astrophysicist, philosopher and entrepreneur. He is an Associate in the Harvard Astronomy Department. For decades, he has researched and written about the ideas of hundreds of philosophers and scientists: www.informationphilosopher.com
BARRY SCHWARTZ is an American psychologist who is Professor at UC Berkeley and Emeritus Professor at Swarthmore College. He's the author of the bestselling books The Paradox of Choice (2005) and Why We Work (2015) and frequently editorialist in The New York Times. His TED talk on the paradox of choice and his TED talk on practical wisdom have been viewed over 13 million times.
MAX TEGMARK is a Swedish-American cosmologist, professor at MIT, scientific director of the Foundational Questions Institute and co-founder of the Future of Life Institute. He is a prominent voice in the media on topics such as the nature of reality, parallel universes, consciousness and artificial intelligence. He is the bestselling author of Our Mathematical Universe (2015) and Life 3.0 (2018).
ROBERT KANE is an American philosopher, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is considered the leading philosopher arguing for a libertarian kind of free will.
ALFRED MELE is an American philosopher and Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He is also the Director of the Philosophy and Science of Self-Control Project and past director of the Big Questions in Free Will Project (2010-2013).
GIORGIO CORICELLI is an Italian economist and psychologist who is professor at the University of Southern California. His areas of research include the role of counterfactual emotions, such as regret and envy, in decision making.
BOB DOYLE is an American astrophysicist, philosopher and entrepreneur. He is an Associate in the Harvard Astronomy Department. For decades, he has researched and written about the ideas of hundreds of philosophers and scientists: www.informationphilosopher.com
SPECS
Title: Ψ - The Lives You Could Have Lived
Runtime: 83 mins
Language: English, French
Locations: Paris, London, Helsinki, Jerusalem, Los Angeles
Camera: Canon 6D
Title: Ψ - The Lives You Could Have Lived
Runtime: 83 mins
Language: English, French
Locations: Paris, London, Helsinki, Jerusalem, Los Angeles
Camera: Canon 6D
DIRECTOR
OLIVIER WRIGHT completed a BFA 1 in filmmaking before studying law, political science and philosophy in Paris and London. In his twenties, he pursued several professional avenues while still writing short and feature screenplays. In 2014, he began shooting his first film, PSI. He has since directed several short films and is currently developping projects for film and television.
www.o-wright.com
www.o-wright.com
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MUSIC
ALEXIS MAINGAUD is a French composer. A classically trained pianist and violinist, since graduating from ESRA film school, he's composed and orchestrated the scores to several documentaries and over 40 short films. PSI is his first feature film. He recently scored his second feature, The Sonata by Andrew Desmond (2018). - http://alexismaingaud.com
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SOUND
JULIEN ROCHARD is a French sound designer & mixer. Since graduating from EFET film school in 2008, he's been working for radio, television (Odyssée, Planète), corporate videos (l'Oréal, Chanel) and on several short and feature films (La Danse des Accrochés by Dantel). He runs his own sound studio, "Studio 74" and founded the Podcast Production Studio called Troisième Oreille.
http://julienrochard.com Troisième Oreille |
CAMERA OPERATORS
Helsinki: Petri Kiljunen, Mikko Riikonen, Julie Marinucci
Jerusalem: Céline Linguagrossa, Michelle Hamers, Marie Lefèvre
London: Nelly Wilde, Michael McCann, Emile Be, Thomas Lefèvre
Paris: Dilou Dilou, Stéphane Le Parc, Morgan Autexier, Christine Tamalet, Stylianos Constantinou
Los Angeles: Vadim Aynbinder, Toby Metz
Jerusalem: Céline Linguagrossa, Michelle Hamers, Marie Lefèvre
London: Nelly Wilde, Michael McCann, Emile Be, Thomas Lefèvre
Paris: Dilou Dilou, Stéphane Le Parc, Morgan Autexier, Christine Tamalet, Stylianos Constantinou
Los Angeles: Vadim Aynbinder, Toby Metz
LOCATIONS - SPECIAL THANKS
THE MIDNIGHT MISSION in Los Angeles, a human services organization that has been present on Skid Row for over 100 years. Special thanks to Ryan Navales, Joey Weinart and Toby Metz.
MANDARIN PRODUCTIONS, for the set of "Brice de Nice, 3" in Paris. Special thanks to James Huth, Eric & Nicolas Altmayer and Jean Dujardin.
THE HAWKEY ARMS PUB in Camden, London. Special thanks to Doug and Craig.
MANDARIN PRODUCTIONS, for the set of "Brice de Nice, 3" in Paris. Special thanks to James Huth, Eric & Nicolas Altmayer and Jean Dujardin.
THE HAWKEY ARMS PUB in Camden, London. Special thanks to Doug and Craig.
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"First-time filmmaker Olivier Wright has turned out something unique. [...]"
Tom Meek, Cambridge Day (review)
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TO GO FURTHER
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THE TALKS
For those who want to go deeper, the film comes with a 9 episode, 4 hour+ series of interviews conducted for this project in philosophy, physics and psychology, diving into the question of free will, quantum physics, choice and regret.
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THE STORY
The book tells the story behind this whole project, from inception to release, providing insights on the experience of self-producing the film as well as thoughts on the film's themes. It is ongoing as the project is unfolding.
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[email protected]
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