what are you talking about
Fan is 17 years old and still looking for herself. Shy and sensitive, she struggles to make friends her own age. When he travels to Germany on a language trip, he meets his best friend Lena, a teenager who dreams of becoming politically involved. The fan is upset. If Lena likes him, he is ready for anything.
Among the plethora of films released on Wednesday is Foreign Language. This French feature film, written and directed by Claire Burger (Party Girl, C’est ça l’amour), is worth discovering for the richness of the themes it touches on.
Filmed between France and Germany, this drama is about the troubled friendship of two young women. His ambition is to paint a portrait of European youth. The way he portrays what unites and separates French and German youth is quite fascinating. The political aspect of the film is all the more noticeable in the context in which it was released.
This exchange between the two protagonists, for example, finds particular resonance today, shortly after the electoral sequence in France and more broadly in Europe:
“– What are you afraid of?
– Everything, the future… I am afraid of fascists, aging, even more cowardice and never changing anything.
– I’m afraid too“
A reflection on what today’s youth are going through
The film we feel is inspired by real, almost intimate events, which makes its theme very accurate and touching. “While abroad, I drew on my teenage memories, trying to update them to reflect today’s youth: war on our doorstep, the climate crisis, the rise of populism, the post-truth era…“, – explains Claire Burger, screenwriter and director in the press kit.
There is a larger purpose behind this idea of establishing a bond between two young women between two countries: “This language is a metaphor that tells the story of Franco-German friendship and, apart from these young women who meet, an attempt to make the faces, bodies and emotions a little cold for everyone. “
A troubled relationship
Foreign Language also has a more romantic, even obscure dimension by playing on the ambiguity of the bond that unites the two young women. The film leaves room for imagination about the real connection between these two characters. “Initially, my idea was to write a film about friendship. It’s a very difficult thing, there are many films about male friendship, there are quite a few about female friendship.”
and added: “Slowly the bodies and a very physical dimension took over and I very naturally led my characters to be a bit more than friends as they bothered each other. (…) In adolescence, everything between love and friendship is more porous, these feelings are often confused. It is the moment when we seek to establish our connection with the other, and where the connection with the other, in turn, shapes us.“
A Foreign Language starring Josepha Haines, Lilith Grasmug, Nina Ho, Chiara Mastroianni is released in theaters this Wednesday, September 11, 2024.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
