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CANNES 2007 Un Certain Regard

Just About Love?: Adolescence à la française

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After Céline Sciamma’s Water Lilies [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(see news), the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival yesterday screened the second debut feature on adolescence by a young French director.

In Just About Love? [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, 32 year-old director Lola Doillon (daughter of Jacques) looks at this period of change, in particular the big question of when to do “it” for the first time.

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The film provides a humoristic snapshot of a group of 15-16 year-olds and paints a "soft" portrait of a multicultural generation similar to that in films by Cédric Klapisch. Ce Qui Me Meut Motion Picture produced the title.

"Three-quarters of girls will do it and I don’t want to be the last". Goth fan Julie (Christa Theret, who came to attention in Costa Gavras’ The Ax [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), nicknamed Batman at school, and her friend Elodie (Lucie Desclozeaux) both decide to finally bite the bullet and promise each other that they will lose their virginity before the start of the next school year – an aim shared by their closest school friends, Vincent (Gaël Tavares), confidant and secret love of Elodie, and Nicolas (Nicolas Schweri), who has a much less romantic approach to the whole affair.

Scripted by the director, the film recounts the light-hearted gallantries of these teenagers. This phase of growing up, examined closely with a look at romantic feelings (jealousy, the speed of changes, endless discussions commenting on the slightest event in their carefree, teenage lives), which serves as the unifying theme and shows in detail how the youth of today communicate (slang language, ubiquitous mobile phones, Internet chats) make for a feature whose freshness is certainly a major attraction.

Produced by Saga Blanchard for €1.26m, Just About Love? has been pre-sold to Canal+. Funding came from France 2 Cinéma (€100,000 in co-production and €150,000 in pre-sales) and the Poitou-Charentes region.

Rezo Films is selling the title worldwide and will also be releasing it in France on June 13.

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(Translated from French)

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