"Comet": Elie Wajeman delivers an ambitious choral epic despite its limitations

In theaters from July 15th, Comet marks the return of Elie Wajeman behind the camera after Night doctorStructured as a choral narrative, the feature film follows several characters whose paths intersect in a Paris overflown by a comet. Conceived as part of a training program bringing together 18 actors, the project transforms this initial constraint into a sweeping epic blending drama, humor, and urban chronicle.

Stories linked by a common thread

The film follows, among others, Boris, recently released from a psychiatric hospital, as he wanders through the capital with his friend Albert; a young woman reconnecting with her absent father; another woman involved in trafficking for her brother; a hitman searching for love; and a journalist observing life in her neighborhood. All of them, in one way or another, revolve around a theater troupe rehearsing. The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, whose dialogues echo the questions of the characters.

According to Elie Wajeman, the interweaving of these narratives emerged as the best way to give each of the actors involved in the project a voice. The director also indicates that while each scene was written during filming, it was in the editing room that the final structure of the film and the interplay of the different storylines truly took shape.

A lighthearted shoot supported by a collective cast

Made with a budget of less than 100,000 euros, Comet It was filmed under deliberately modest conditions. Alongside actors from the Cinemasterclass workshop, Élie Wajeman reunites with several regular collaborators, including Vincent Macaigne and Sarah Le Picard. The cast also includes Samuel Achache, Lou Lampros, Sandor Funtek, Alexia Chardard, and Éric Denize.

Beyond its plot, Comet The film explores family ties, romantic relationships, personal wounds, and unexpected encounters. The comet crossing the Paris sky acts as a symbol connecting these lives, while the city becomes the common backdrop for this series of portraits. The film, running 1 hour and 37 minutes, is distributed by Dulac Distribution.