THE LAS RIVER
Years of explorations
Initial explorations
Since January 2019 , I have fallen in love with this river that passes near my home, in the heart of the Dardennes Valley.
In summer as in winter, I would go up its course to its source to explore it, have fun with my dogs and practice photography.
Exploration & Exhibition
In February 2023 , as I was returning from my trek across Tunisia and my first stay in the Arctic , I had to prepare a lecture on the exploration of this river for the dedicated exhibition at the Var Departmental Museum.
In addition to reassembling it, I was filming with the idea of making a documentary.
The final film
And it was two years later, in January 2025 , that I worked on the final version of this film during my wintering in Swedish Lapland.
The realization of a formula that has developed since my first videos five years earlier, this film tells the story of the exploration of this river and its underground sources alongside Iggy & Dante, my faithful companions who speak.
2019-2022
FIRST EXPLORATIONS
A playground and learning ground
Regularly going upriver with Iggy & Dante to have fun and work on our communication, our explorations of this river were
the beginnings of what would later become our first expeditions.
Equipped with my camera, I took my first pictures and learned to discover myself as a documentary photographer.
For a few kilometers, we went up this river which is called a river because of its low flow.
From its landscapes to its details, the Las makes us forget that the city is only ten meters above our heads.
Winter and summer alike, year after year, we returned there to have fun .
explore and clean this river.
With each trip upstream, we discovered new things, made progress in photography, and the river was constantly evolving.
Before its main source, the Ragas, lies the Revest Dam. Just like its river, it was constantly evolving, such as when it was temporarily dried up.
2023-2024
EXPLORATION & EXHIBITION
Le Las, a river & men (2022-2023)
This title was the name of the temporary exhibition at the Var Departmental Museum, which focused on the river and its connection with the inhabitants.
To present the Las in images during my two conferences at the Museum, we went up the river and explored its underground sources, capturing images.
Starting from the river's sources, the exhibition explores the literature surrounding this waterway, before turning to its biodiversity and finally its human history.
We set off early one February morning and went upriver towards the Revest Dam, taking the time to capture as many images as possible.
Alongside this ascent, I explored its sources, the Baume de Dardennes and Saint Antoine, in the company of speleologists and divers.
During my second conference at the Museum, my friend Hervé Chevalley surprised me by coming to film what would later become a video focused on our friendship.
After that conference, my explorations of the river continued, capturing ever more images for a final version of the film.
FINAL VERSION
27 minutes of film, years of exploration
In May 2025 , before our trek across Sweden, the final version of the film was released after two years of filming and months of editing.
A first version had been made and shown at my conference, but I felt something was missing without knowing what. It took me two years and three expeditions to find the answer.
Having spent the winter in Lapland before crossing Sweden on foot, we tell you about
the exploration of a river and its underground sources.
After going to Swedish Lapland to work with sled dogs, it was during our wintering in the Far North that I made this film.
MAKING OFF
Made entirely by myself, from filming to editing and including the writing, I wanted to give this film a certain personality by taking
as the basis for my artistic references.
The main feature of this film is that Iggy and Dante speak, one with my voice and the other with audio samples.
but there are other subtleties as well.
Aren't you ashamed to lie like that?!
Egoro tutto sabrete !
The immersive maps in this film are inspired by exploration video games, notably The Legend of Zelda.
or even Final Fantasy X.
The underground surveys are made by speleologists to provide a true sense of scale for the progression within the cave, which I then highlighted in white and isolated for to match my style.
FILM EDITING TRACK
The sound of the Las is composed of several audio layers (green)
which together create a varied atmosphere with a rendering
spatial allowing the entry of moving sounds
for example from left to right.
Many of the sounds were recorded.
from my room in Lapland, like a cartoon, like the sound of my hair shaking.
HEADPHONES FOR BETTER EXPERIENCE!
A lot of work has gone into this film and I am already incredibly grateful for all the support.
contributed during its production and release.
Feel free to check out the rest of the channel while waiting for the next films currently in production.
MEHDI OUADFEL
In memory of
I dedicate this film to the memory of the best friend I ever had, who passed away on October 10, 2024 from cancer.
Thank you for everything, my brother.
THANKS
To those who supported the adventure
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who supported this adventure, whether through your encouraging messages, your contributions to keeping this project alive, and to those who gave me a helping hand when I was in need.
To everyone, I would like to dedicate this section in memory of the kindness you have shown me towards my foolishness.
First of all, I would like to thank the partners of this project for contributing to its organization and making it possible!
VAR DEPARTMENTAL MUSEUM
To the Museum for giving me the opportunity to share my passion for exploration through a conference and for connecting me
with the speleologist Philippe Maurel.
PHILIPPE MAUREL
To the speleologist Philippe Maurel for sharing his passion for speleology with me and introduced to the discipline with the utmost kindness, and to his son Sowane Maurel for helping me get my latest camera.
PLONGÉESOUT
To the PlongéeSout association and its divers for their exploration of Sainte Antoine and its images: Rémi Bouchard ; Didier Quartiano ; Nicolas Visentin ; Alexandre Flayols and Maxime Cabanel .
IGGY & DANTE
To my faithful companions, for following me everywhere I go for years now.
