Just Before Losing Everything

While it did not win, "Avant que de tout perdre" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2014. The film received high praise from critics for its intense pacing and realism.

The 2013 French short film was written and directed by Xavier Legrand. The tense, gripping narrative focuses on a woman and her two children attempting to secretly flee from her abusive husband.

Yes, Xavier Legrand expanded the story into a critically acclaimed feature film called "Custody" (Jusqu'à la garde), released in 2017. The feature film acts as a direct continuation of the same characters' lives following the events of the short.

The short film is entirely in French, featuring its original title "Avant que de tout perdre." It relies heavily on natural, whispered dialogue to build its terrifying atmosphere as the mother tries to escape her workplace with her children.