August 1992. A stiflingly hot afternoon in a remote valley somewhere in eastern France, with its lake and its now-defunct blast furnaces. Fourteen-year-old Anthony and his cousin pass the time by the lake with Steph and Clem. For Anthony, it will be the summer of first love, the one that gives meaning to everything. The bittersweet moment in life that marks the end of childhood and the passage to adulthood. But there's also Hacine, a young rebel from the neighborhood. And a motorcycle he steals from Anthony, turning everyone's lives upside down. Over the course of four crucial summers, the destinies of Anthony, Steph, and Hacine intertwine, collide, and intertwine. And amid all this turmoil, love will try to find its way...
Marcello Mastroianni Award to Paul Kircher for Best New Actor/Actress at the 81st Venice International Film Festival (2024)
"The Boukherma brothers reveal themselves as great filmmakers here and have probably created a masterpiece [...] because they film settings and situations with sensitivity and warmth. The birthday party, as well as [...] the village festival, are the two moments in which they excel. [...] The two filmmakers manage to outline a great, intimate and choral portrait, social and (inter)generational, in which everyone is a bit of a victim and executioner of others as well as, ultimately, of themselves." (Francesco Boille)
