Intoxication

Intoxication, a short documentary film by Gaspar Noé


Made in 1998, Intoxication is a short documentary film by Gaspar Noé, approximately five minutes long, which remained largely unknown and seldom screened. The film departs significantly from the fictional forms and spectacular visual devices associated with the filmmaker, adopting instead a restrained, direct, and minimalist approach.

The short film is based on a filmed testimony: that of Stéphane Drouot, a marginal filmmaker known notably for Star Suburb . Filmed facing the camera, in an intimate and unadorned setting, Drouot speaks freely about his personal life, his artistic journey, and his difficulties in continuing to create.

He also talks about his illness, HIV/AIDS, and the medical treatments he is undergoing.


Gaspar Noé adopts a discreet stance, without commentary or visible intervention. The film seeks neither to explain nor to judge, but to show and let us hear raw words, in their simplicity and fragility. The whole takes the form of a documentary portrait, akin to a personal archive.

Through its formal simplicity and its grounding in reality, Intoxication occupies a unique place in Gaspar Noé's work. It testifies to an early interest in vulnerable bodies, illness, and direct speech, far removed from any spectacular staging.


Technical specifications


Title: Intoxication
Director: Gaspar Noé
Year: 1994
Duration: A few minutes (short film)
Genre: Experimental short film / prevention
Format: 16 mm / video (depending on distribution)
Country: France
Main actor: Stéphane Drouot
Screenplay: Gaspar Noé (institutional commission)
Cinematography: Gaspar Noé
Editing: Gaspar Noé
Music / Sound: Sound effects and textured sounds for sensory saturation
Production: Commissioned film for drug prevention
Synopsis: Stéphane Drouot delivers a direct monologue addressed to the viewer, aiming to evoke the effects of intoxication. The film plays on verbal and sensory saturation, creating a deliberate shock and discomfort.
Special features:

  • Commissioned short film repurposed as a sensory experience
  • Single frontal monologue
  • Absence of traditional narrative
  • A shocking experience of psychological and sensory experience