“Champagne Sunrise”, Olivier Hennegrave’s new short film made IN COLLABORATION WITH DS CHAMPAGNE

Olivier Hennegrave’s short film shows a magnificent sunrise in the vineyards of Champagne. In this interview, he will take us through the inspiration behind the collaboration.

- Bonjour Olivier, how did this collaboration with DS Champagne come about?

I have built a professional network throughout my career in film as I make documentaries for different French television channels. My friend who works in photography, Xavier Lavictoire, put me in touch with DS Champagne. I was born in Reims, in the heart of Champagne, so I was very excited to work on a project that would ​showcase the unique beauty of sunrise across Champagne vineyards.

-What did the creative process look like for the “Champagne Sunrise” short film?

We defined the concept then created the storyboard; starting with the village of Pierry (where grapes used by DS are grown), passing through the beautiful villages of Hautvillers and Verzenay, and ending in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, (where the DS champagne house is located). I used a drone to show the grandeur of the vineyards, and to capture that special sunrise light. My goal was to highlight Champagne’s wine heritage and beautiful landscapes.

- Were there any difficulties?

The shoot only took place in the morning, because we wanted the vineyards to encompass the most poetic and romantic time of day. This was not easy in terms of schedule, we had planned to shoot at the end of June but had to postpone to July 12 due to this year’s unusual rainy season.

- What are your main projects now and in the near future?

I am currently working on a few documentaries. One project is about the 150th anniversary of Club Vosgien, an association which was a pioneer in the development, creation and maintenance of the first network of marked trails for walking and leisure in France. We will be following a young sports blogger, crossing North to South of the Vosges mountains to discover their riches and natural heritage. Another project, in development for the Franco-German TV channel Arte, tells the story of a Swiss ethologist’s trip to Namibia, looking to combine nature preservation and human economic interest.

- Merci Olivier, good luck on these new projects!