The Cinematheque

VIFF 2020

“Effervescent … reminds us what makes the Ozon touch so unique.”

Peter Debruge, Variety

Panorama | Contemporary World Cinema | Special Presentations

Dour working-class 16-year-old Alex (Félix Lefebvre) is being questioned by police about what we are led to believe is the murder of his lover and best friend, 18-year-old David (Benjamin Voisin). Cue the flashbacks to a heady, beachside summer romance between the two, which begins when David rescues Alex from a capsized sailboat and blossoms into an earth-shaking first love— for Alex at least. For the fatherless, thrill-seeking, and very bourgeois David, coddled since birth by his eccentric mother (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi), it seems to be no more than a game … Based on the British YA author Aidan Chambers’ 1982 novel Dance on My Grave, VIFF favourite François Ozon’s nostalgic look back to the mid-80s, when he himself was a gay teen coming out, is a romantic, sexy, and ultimately tragic coming-of-age tale awash in gorgeous colour, sunny locations, and eye-popping period fashions. Anchored by fine performances from Lefebvre and Voisin, two relative unknowns destined for great things, this is simply a treat. – VIFF

Language: In French with English subtitles
CAST: Félix Lefebvre, Benjamin Voisin, Philippine Velge, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Melvil Poupaud, Isabelle Nanty
PROD: Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
SCR: François Ozon
CAM: Hichame Alaouie
ED: Laure Gardette
PROD DES: Benoît Barouh
MUS: Jean-Benoît Dunckel
Production Company: Mandarin Production, FOZ