Heritage carries a unique distinction: it’s the first horror feature ever produced in Corsica, the Mediterranean island that forms one of the 18 regions of France.

Leaning fully into the raw aesthetic of found footage horror, the film was shot on an early-2000s camcorder to give the story the unsettling feeling of genuine archival material. The lo-fi approach aims to immerse viewers in footage that feels like it was truly discovered rather than staged.

Writer-director Baptist Agostini-Croce makes his feature debut with the project, which was produced independently for under €5,000 (about $5,800). The film was shot in just five days with a small cast and a tight six-person crew.

In Heritage, siblings Marie and Daniel return to Corsica to visit their aging grandfather, fifteen years after leaving the island behind. Hoping to document the emotional reunion, they record the trip using the family’s old camcorder. But what begins as a nostalgic homecoming soon turns into something far darker as the pair uncover disturbing secrets tied to their family and the island itself.

Agostini-Croce says the found footage format was essential to the story’s themes.
“The choice of found footage, built around the idea of archival images, naturally came as the best way to explore memory,” he explained. “It reflects the bonds between family members separated by difficult life choices. The story follows two people who feel out of place within their own family and their island, raising the question of whether Corsica somehow pushes its own children away.”

The cast includes Marie Bolbenes, Daniel Di Grazia, Luca Lavallette, and Philippe Ambrosini. The actors were given significant freedom during filming, helping heighten the film’s sense of realism.

Heritage will world premiere at the Unnamed Footage Festival in San Francisco on March 26. The film is also set to screen at Light Till Dark in Sweden later in March, Toronto Indie Fest in April, and Fantasy Day Film Festival in Italy this June.