Acumen features a fashion editorial and a short film directed by François Berthier. 

In a minimalist setting—a table, a chessboard with perfectly aligned pieces—an atmosphere where every gesture seems weighed and calculated. The story begins with the fleeting appearance of a woman, clad in a sumptuous fur from the Yves Salomon archives. An almost spectral figure who signals the start of a silent game, where every move on the board resonates in the icy air that pervades this strange duel. Then she vanishes, leaving behind a mysterious echo and a palpable tension. Facing each other are two enigmatic figures: a man and a woman, also enveloped in fur coats, embodiments of a feverish power, of a muted yet implacable confrontation. The chessboard, a symbolic arena of psychological warfare, becomes their battleground. But here, the game is not merely a matter of strategy. It embodies a deeper struggle, a silent battle between two souls entangled in a relationship of power and vulnerability. Each move is more than just a simple movement on the board: it's a gesture laden with meaning, a confrontation between the desire for control and the acceptance of the inevitable. The game intensifies, each piece moved with unwavering focus. But as the man loses his footing, one move too many, one irrational action, and his king falls. The loss of control transforms into an explosion of frustration. He overturns the chessboard, scattering the pieces in a chaotic dance on the floor, a symbol of inevitable defeat, but also of a rejection of reality. He rises, abandons the stage, carried away by the weight of failure. The woman, left alone, observes the fallen pieces. No triumph, no resounding victory. She rests her head in her hands, engulfed by a heavy silence, a thought that seems to stretch beyond the confrontation. Has she won? Or has she lost too? The void left by the end of the game becomes greater than the victory itself, as if conquering a game could not fill the space of true liberation. 

Conceived as a fashion editorial under the artistic direction of Flora di Carlo, this short film showcases Yves Salomon's archive of furs in a striking mise-en-scène, where each piece becomes an extension of the characters' emotions. A symbol of luxury and protection, fur here becomes a shell, a mark of domination and a desire for control, while simultaneously revealing an underlying fragility. The choice of black and white lends the film a timeless, glacial, and austere atmosphere. The coldness of the image and the absence of color accentuate the gravity of the moment and the emotional distance that develops between the two protagonists. The contrast between light and shadow creates a visual tension that accompanies the silent duel, transforming each gesture into a precise and calculated choreography. The soundtrack, composed by Simon Delacroix, aka Toxic Avenger, punctuates this hypnotic dance with an intensity that underscores the dramatic crescendo of the scene. The notes, sometimes muted, sometimes percussive, envelop the scene in a mysterious and captivating aura, translating into music the movements of the coins and the feverish beating of the hearts in conflict. The final image, a broken coin littering the black and white floor, offers a poignant last tableau. The woman, alone in the dim light, lost in thought, seems overwhelmed by the weight of this victory, which ultimately holds no glory. Is victory not sometimes another form of defeat? A burden one carries without ever being able to rid oneself of it?

Checkmate is not just a story about a game; it's the story of a silent battle, an internal struggle that unfolds in the unseen corners of human relationships. A duel where the real question isn't who won or lost, but whether the game was truly worth it.

CREDITS TEAM Short Film

Directed by François Berthier
Co-Direction, Artistic Direction & Styling: Flora di Carlo
Editing & Color Grading: François Berthier
Lighting: Valentin Décoratif & Nicolas Sukhoon
Music: Composed & Produced by The Toxic Avenger
@toxavanger (P) & (C) Enchanté Records @enchanterecords

Makeup Artist: Ludovic Cadeo
Makeup Assistant: Feriel Brizini
Hair Stylist: Léonie Chipie

CREDITS

Photographer François Berthier
Artistic Direction & Styling: Flora di Carlo
Lighting: Valentin Décoratif & Nicolas Sukhoon
Music: Composed & Produced by The Toxic Avenger
@toxavanger (P) & (C) Enchanté Records @enchanterecords

Makeup Artist: Ludovic Cadeo
Makeup Assistant: Feriel Brizini
Hair Stylist: Léonie Chipier
Production Assistant: Tanja Aksentijević

Models: Héloïse Lebeau, Valentin Villedieu

Model Agency: Cover Management
Magazine: Acumen Magazine
Location: Joseph Gallery