Inspired by his own childhood and teenage friendships, Lukas Dhont explores the fragility of adolescent bonds between two best friends in this intimate and heartrending drama that followed its Cannes 2022 Grand Prix award (shared with Stars at Noon) with Best Film at the Sydney Film Festival 2022.
On a bright summer’s day, 13-year-old Léo and Rémi run wild in the floral wonderland of Léo’s family farm. Hunting imaginary foes or chasing each other, dashing around on their bikes or discussing their hopes and dreams during sleepovers, they share an untroubled closeness and are rarely out of each other’s company. When they start secondary school after the summer holidays, this intense bond and the boys’ affectionate interaction doesn’t go unnoticed by their classmates, who are curious as to whether these newcomers are ‘together’. The anxiety this unwanted attention generates leads Léo to pursue activities that exclude Rémi, who grapples to understand his friend slowly pulling away, and the unbearable severing of their relationship. – Sandra Reid
Reviews:
[It] not only invokes a common theme but represents an increasingly rare cinematic foray into the sort of complex and intentionally ambiguous material that may not play well at the box office but lingers with the viewer…Â The New Republic
Builds upon the promise of 2018’s Girl, confirming Dhont as a deft and empathetic chronicler of the tumultuous anguish and ecstasy of adolescence. Observer (UK)
An authentic study of loss, buttressed by two extraordinary child actors, and complemented by a handful of impeccable adult players, most notably Émilie Dequenne… Times (UK)
If you find it cathartic to sob over well-drawn characters, this sad tale is within hugging distance of being an absolute joy. London Evening Standard
