“Vacances”, interview with director Victoria Hely-Hutchinson

October 26, 2025

Victoria Hely-Hutchinson, director of Vacances, explores family dynamics, offering a subtle yet profound insights into human relationships.

"Vacances", interview with director Victoria Hely-Hutchinson Cristiana Palmieri

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A Personal Journey Through Family, Place, and Memory

“Vacances” is an evocative documentary that spans a decade, capturing summers in a Provencal villa in France, and offering a fresh perspective on family dynamics and inherited traditions. Directed by Victoria Hely-Hutchinson, the film explores the intimate relationships between an Austrian-Hungarian countess and her family, using the villa’s timeless atmosphere as a backdrop for emotional storytelling.

The Significance of Location and Atmosphere

The villa in Provence is more than just a setting in “Vacances“; it becomes a character shaping the narrative. Hely-Hutchinson emphasizes how the villa’s light, heat, and sensory environment create an immersive experience, a space of childhood, tradition, and familial connection. The ambient details, such as the provincial sunshine, local food, and nature, enhance the film’s universality, making the viewer feel invited into a timeless family retreat.

Family Dynamics and Generational Resistance

“Vacances” reveals how family roles persist across generations, often provoking resistance and regression. The film depicts how children and grandchildren, despite outside lives and responsibilities, revert to familiar patterns within the villa’s confines. Hely-Hutchinson notes that the physical and emotional distance allows for reflection on these cyclical relationships, exposing underlying power structures and inherited behaviors.

A Characterful Atmosphere

The authenticity of “Vacances” is heightened by its deliberate focus on the environment. The cinematic portrayal of the villa, pool, and natural surroundings embodies the atmosphere as an active character. This immersive approach invites viewers to experience the sensory and emotional weight of the setting, emphasizing its role as a space where psychological layers and family stories unfold naturally.

Plot

Shot over the course of a decade at a sun-drenched villa in Provence, Vacances follows ‘Granny’, a bohemian Austro-Hungarian countess, as she imparts wisdom by the pool and looks for a successor among her descendants. Wearing swimsuits, the younger family members navigate her complex world, regressing under her scrutiny and resisting her advice. As summers pass and Granny’s influence fades, her heirs reassess her arcane teachings. They start to separate the valuable from the vexing in her legacy, readying themselves to move beyond the villa after the film’s final summer.

Written by: Cristiana Palmieri

Guest

Victoria Hely-Hutchinson

Film

Vacances

Festival

Doclisboa International Film Festival

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