COÛTE QUE COÛTE

Jihad is the owner of a small enterprise near Nice that sells ready-made meals to large super-markets. For six months he has been trying to conquer the market with paella, salads nicoises and chicken, bask style. His brand is called "Equilibre" and as a matter of fact, equilibrium is what Jihad is trying to achieve: balancing his client's wishes, his debts with the bank and his employees' payroll.

The fierce competition and the bills that need to be paid force Jihad to fire his employees one by one. At the end the only ones left are the cooks, a delivery-man and the secretary. Together with Jihad, they fight for the survival of the business, which has become a part of their lives.

"For five months I filmed the last four days of every month. This is the time, when the most tensions arise. Bills are due, promises have to be kept. It is the moment that money and words are united. I don't film people telling a story, I film the story." Claire Simon