Space Christmas

Seven men, all city-dwellers aged between 17 and 70, with nothing in common apart from the fact that they are all on the verge of a nervous breakdown, meet up at a lonely sta- tion for an unusual course in the wild that is supposed to get them back on their feet. Each step in this boot camp, designed by an eccentric and feisty female coach, aims to reveal them to themselves. The task seems to be a tough one, especially as nothing goes as planned between these men.

Ernie LaPointe, Native American of the Lakota tribe, Vietnam veteran, and great-grandson of the famous Chief Sitting Bull: this is the man I meet. It all started with a strange vision from my mother. A road trip begins in South Dakota, where, between a Trumpist casino town and sacred sites of Native American spirituality, Ernie shares thoughts, memories, and values from his ancestors.

In his motor home, while drinking too much wine, an old “Shlappsteur” (a luxury event waiter) shares anecdotes about the job that ate up his whole life. Funny, rough or melancholic, his memories materialize before our eyes and paint, piece by piece, the portrait of a life dedicated to work.