Friday, October 17, 9:00 PM
Cinema 21

When Etienne receives a digital video camera from his grandmother for his sixteenth birthday to film his figure skating practice, he becomes obsessed with filming all aspects of his daily life. From his life at home with his mother to candid conversations with his best friend Ludovic to voyeuristic montages of his geography teacher Laurent, we are shown snippets of Etienne’s world view through his charming sense of nostalgia and adolescent bewilderment. Throughout the film we see what Etienne holds dear, thinks is clever, and what is worth documenting and we do feel we are seeing the world through the untarnished eyes of sixteen year-old boy. Ironically, as Etienne films his world, we come to understand him more than he understands himself. While the camera initially may have been a barrier between Etienne and that which he did not want to face, ultimately, it becomes the catalyst that delivers him to a place he has been seeking. Directors Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau (THE ADVENTURES OF FELIX) have created a touching, insightful portrait of adolescence that reminds that meaning and relevance can be found in the simplest things and that love is all around us. journey is all you could hope for.

Dirs. Olivier Ducastel & Jacques Martineau
2002 France 35mm 104 min French with English subtitles