Synopsis
When Suze Trappet learns at 43 that she’s seriously ill, she decides to search for the child she was forced to give up as a teenager, after giving birth under pressure from her parents.
Her bureaucratic quest leads her to cross paths with JB, a fifty-year-old IT worker in the middle of a burnout, and Mr. Blin, a blind archivist with boundless enthusiasm. Together, this unlikely trio embarks on a wild and deeply moving adventure — as spectacular as it is improbable.
Awards
Released in 2020, the film benefited from the talent of the Mikros (now MPC Paris) teams, who crafted more than 400 visual effects shots in just nine months, under the supervision of Cédric Fayolle (VFX Supervisor), with Rodolphe Zirah (CG Supervisor), Alice Neichols (VFX Coordinator), and Sophie Denize (Executive Producer).
For Cédric Fayolle and the artists at Mikros, the challenge was to extend Albert Dupontel’s unique creative vision — enhancing reality without ever betraying it.
Some of the film’s most memorable moments reflect this approach:
- The car sequence, told entirely through reflections on the windshield — a meticulous compositing and reconstruction effort built from multiple plates shot on set.
- The church exterior, where unfinished buildings and additional background extras were digitally added to enrich the setting.
- The final esplanade sequence, shot at the Bry-sur-Marne soundstage — only the ground, benches, and a few lampposts were real. The rest of the environment, along with the movement of the remotely controlled elevator, was created in post-production.
Each digital addition, however subtle, contributes to that delicate shift between realism and fantasy that defines Dupontel’s cinematic world.
“A good example of our directing approach on this project — I only filmed the reflection of JB and Suze in the mirror, leaving the entire background to the VFX team. When I saw the final result, I honestly thought we’d shot in a real metro station. The best visual effects are the ones you don’t see.”
“Once again, it’s all about reflections. It wasn’t hard to capture Virginie’s emotion in that close-up, but it was more technical to express JB’s isolation. Between VFX, lighting, and performance, the discussions lasted much longer than the shot itself.”
“By the end of post-production, my only question about the VFX team was: ‘What is it that they can’t do?’ …And I never found the answer.””
Albert Dupontel
Completed in a tight production schedule, the 400 visual effects shots for Adieu les cons brought together multiple departments — compositing, environment, FX, and color pipeline.
This project showcases Mikros’ (now MPC Paris) ability to collaborate with visionary filmmakers, adapting both tools and methods to serve and elevate the director’s storytelling.
The result is a film acclaimed by critics and audiences alike — a poetic, funny, and visually inventive story where post-production plays a key role in shaping its distinctive tone.
