Earth · Fire · Water
How to blend earth, fire and water?
A moving film about three young siblings. A stroke of fate. And the question: how do you lead a renowned winery into the future overnight? A story about the love of champagne, a demanding craft and the irrepressible power of the elements.
The Elements
“Look at me, I have done it, it is possible. If you want to be a winemaker, it is possible.”
Charlotte is the oldest of the three siblings. As a patron (boss) and mother, she has both feet firmly on the ground. She takes care of sales and marketing, keeps the threads together — and keeps an eye on all the important family and business matters.
“At the moment, climate change is definitely beneficial in Champagne. But in a few years it will be too hot. Then maybe we will only be making red wine.”
Julie is the “middle child” and, as Chef de Culture, is responsible for the vineyards. Her unprecedented relationship with wine and her faithful workhorses shows the fire with which she burns for a life in harmony with nature.
“When you taste a champagne, you are tasting a story that is millions of years old.”
Valentin, the youngest, tends to be like the calm water of a mirrored lake. He focuses on vinification as Chef de Caves (cellar master). His balanced, analytical nature helps him oversee every process to perfection — from the pressing of the freshly harvested grapes to the bottling of the aged wine.
The idea behind the film
In this documentary film, we show the moving story of three young people who face a challenging life task during the changing of the four seasons: due to their father’s serious cancer worsening, the three siblings Charlotte, Julie and Valentin have to follow in his big footsteps overnight, as a renowned winemaker in Champagne.
And although they have spent their entire lives preparing for this moment, the sudden takeover of the family business brings numerous unforeseen challenges. A film about the invisible bond between siblings, the interplay of the elements with their very natural powers — as well as the captivating magic of champagne making.
What does the film show?
We accompany Charlotte, Julie and Valentin in their first three years of independence. Through the ups and downs, through good and bad harvest years. We follow them between the vines into the cellars and are at their side when they refine their champagne uniquely.
Likewise, topics that play a significant role in shaping the lives of a winemaking family are highlighted: climate change, biodynamic agriculture and the patriarchal structures of Champagne that must be broken.
Why do we want to tell this story?
Daniel’s last name is Ludes — and why this matters, you will learn in these lines. It is a French surname: his ancestors were Huguenots who settled on the French-German border after being expelled from France in the 16th century.
They once fled the eponymous village of Ludes, on the north side of the Montagne de Reims in the heart of Champagne. Years later, himself a father, Daniel brought his family to Ludes to continue tracing and discovering the passion for wine, champagne and this wonderful area.
He began to search, research and taste, and finally, in the little village of Avize, he met an extraordinary family of winemakers whose tragic story reminded him of his own. During his 2020 visit he learned that their father, Erick, was seriously ill with cancer — a shock he could relate to, having lost his own father far too early to the disease. Charlotte’s, Julie’s and Valentin’s task now is to overcome this shock, to take the reins into their own hands and to lead the Domaine into the future.
The filmmakers
Marco has been a video journalist, cameraman and editor for over 12 years. During this time he has travelled the world and met and documented many interesting people with a passion for their profession.
Daniel has been in the creative industry for over 14 years. His journey led him via design to advertising, and now to film. In the home of his ancestors, he discovered not only his passion for champagne, but also the history of the De Sousas.
Impressions
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