
Keywords
- Afsaneh Salari
- Award Winning
- Forever Young
- Malena Filmus' Picks
- Sooner Europe Docs: New Perspectives
- Sooner Exclusives
- Coming of Age
- education
- friendship
- school
- women
Director
- Sébastien Lifshitz
Documentary
2h 10min
16+
FR
SV
EN
PL
DE
PT
FR
ES
IT
Victims of their circumstances: The two best friends Emma and Anaïs face very different futures.
Victims of their circumstances: The two best friends Emma and Anaïs face very different futures.
Emma and Anaïs grow up together in the French provincial town of Brive-la-Gaillarde. Despite their close friendship, their lives couldn't be more different: Emma comes from a middle-class, educated background, while Anaïs grows up in a working-class family. Over the course of five years, the camera follows the two girls through their youth – from school days and family conflicts to their first experiences of love.
The documentary premiered at the 2019 Locarno Film Festival in the Semaine de la critique section and won the Zonta Club Locarno Award. The film was released in French cinemas on September 9, 2020. It received the prestigious Prix Louis-Delluc for the best French film of 2020 and was nominated in six categories at the 2021 César Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. It won awards in the categories Best Documentary, Best Editing, and Best Sound.
Critics particularly praised the sensitive direction and authentic portrayal of the two protagonists. The music by British band Tindersticks underscores the film's melancholic atmosphere. With its empathetic observation of youth and focus on social differences, the documentary offers a deep insight into growing up in today's France.