When I learned the term "L'Amour Fou" in a Surrealism art history class, I immediately felt as though a well of emotions and experiences had been bound into one term. The following moments were a visceral sensation of a visual story unwinding; I was nowhere near a filmmaker at that time, but knew that this was a film that needed to be created. “L’Amour Fou”, coined by Andre Breton, translates into “Mad Love” and describes an impassioned, all-consuming romantic obsession. I recognized it as a shared secret experience amongst young woman, but was frustrated to only see it represented as literal “madness” instead of the complex range of emotions that it carries. While exploring this through the female gaze I wanted to subvert the societal pairing of “the older man and younger woman” trope, and the paradox it holds. Young women are often “paired” with older men, but are rarely seen actively wanting it, removing all of their agency. Yet, in the case they do desire this, they’re reprimanded, and their inclinations are either seen as freudian or exploitative. By subverting this through the young women’s lens, and showing the complexities of “L’Amour Fou”, it creates a narrative that feels universal amongst young women, yet is taboo, and thus needs to be told.

-Logan Levitt