Union partner/editor Marco Perez has become one of the most sought-after talents in filmmaking, not only as an editor, but as a co-writer and storyteller. His high-profile work in commercials (Spotify, Bulgari, Lego, Ford) is complemented by longform documentaries (DIANE VON FURSTENBURG: WOMAN IN CHARGE) and narrative features (IN THE FIRE, THE PARADOX EFFECT, A BEAUTIFUL CURSE, EDGE OF THE WORLD), each of which allows Perez to play a unique role in the process. His latest effort is FRAGMENTS OF A LIFE LOVED, Chloé Barreau’s honest, enchanting, and resonant exploration of her own past relationships, as told by her ex-lovers. The film was recently named Best Feature Documentary at the 48th Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco. Founded in 1977 as the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, it is the longest-running, largest, and most widely recognized queer film exhibition event in the world.
FRAGMENTS OF A LIFE LOVED comprises archival footage filmed by Barreau of her lovers in Paris and Rome, from the time she was 16, as well as present-day interviews conducted by Astrid Desmousseaux. Perez collaborated with Barreau and Giulia Sbernini on the story for the film, which was edited by Marina De Pedro. “To approach my exes, I sent them a real letter with my handwriting on paper, sent by the post mail…I wanted to surprise them by reproducing this very old-fashioned love ritual and give them time to process that invitation,” Barreau shares. “Some of them were enthusiastic and very excited, others were very reluctant. At the end of the day, I think this indecent proposal was quite irresistible.”
Few people have filmed their entire lives from the age of 16 onward, and the footage was voluminous. The production company, Groenlandia, reached out to Perez early on to help structure the film. “I was very intrigued by the subject matter and the challenge,” Perez explains. “I worked closely with Chloé to develop the narrative arcs and character perspectives, ensuring the footage could support the intended storytelling.”
“When you have twelve characters telling how they met, fell in love and broke-up with the same person, the risk of being repetitive is high – since, basically, love is always the same old story,” muses Barreau. “To avoid that, we needed ellipses, turns and plot twists. That is why we worked on a dramatic structure where every character would have a specific role to play. The idea was to focus on one particular aspect of each relationship – the friend with benefits, the long-distance relationship, the physical passion – so that every single person could illustrate a specific phase of the love experience.”
“Chloé and I share a fascination with the idea that a fact can be seen from different perspectives; while the fact is immutable and doesn’t change the equation, each of us can have a completely different perception of it,” Perez observed.
The director adds, “I did not do this film to do therapy. My motivation was to investigate the universal paths of love. Having said that, the result was quite surprising and powerful, and while I might feel embarrassed sometimes or dispute certain recollections, what is most reassuring is the fact that the person they are describing is, indeed, me, for better or for worse. That means that we really leave the essence of ourselves within the people we love. And that is very reassuring. And the other big discovery is that love never ends. Relationships do.”
Thus far, FRAGMENTS OF A LIFE LOVED has enjoyed a successful theatrical run in Italy, distributed there by I Wonder, and it has been sold in Spain (DocsBarcelona Distribution Planeta Med S.L, all rights) and Brazil (Garda distribuidora, VOD rights).
About Union
Union Editorial has offices located in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and London, where it maintains an alliance with Marshall Street Editors. The company also develops and produces original content. Other Union companies include Hunter, which provides finishing services, vfx, graphics and mix for commercials, features and gaming. Union is presided over by Partner/Managing Director Michael Raimondi alongside Executive Producer Joe Ross and Head of Production Dani DuHadway in LA, Partner/Managing Director Caryn Maclean alongside Executive Producer Melissa Lubin in NY, Executive Producer Vicki Russell in Austin, and Logan Aries, Executive Producer of Hunter. The Union roster is comprised of Partner/Editors Jim Haygood, Einar Thorsteinsson, Jay Friedkin, Sloane Klevin, Marco Perez, Merritt Duff, Graham Turner, and Chris Huth, editors Daniel Luna, Laura Milstein, Jason Lucas, Karen Kourtessis, Kevin Ray, Rachael Connelly, Zach Kashkett, Andrea MacArthur, Amanda Perry, Justin “Q” Quagliata, Vinnie Hobbs, Rodrigo Brazão, Rick Lawley, and Jono Griffith, as well as select projects with Guicho Flores, Teddy Gersten, Tim Thornton-Allan, Matt Chesse, John Mayes, Spencer Ferszt, and the Marshall Street roster.
