a scene from young heart,
Sometimes, the most gentle twists in a movie can create quite an emotional impact on the audience. The filmmaker does not need to break any mountains to achieve this. Belgian filmmaker Anthony Schettman young heartWith its fresh take on teen lesbian romance, it’s filled with moments that flow naturally one after the other. Screening in the World Cinema section at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), this small film about young people has won accolades amid a flurry of big films boasting wide festival exposure.
Fourteen-year-old Elias (Lou Goossens) has a fairly content life with his father, who is something of a local celebrity with his hit pop single, an understanding mother and a grandfather who lives on a farm and as guides for him. Let’s work. Things are also going well with his girlfriend Valerie. Into this ideal setting comes Elias’s new neighbor Alexander (Marius de Segar), who becomes part of Elias’s gang and soon becomes Elias’s inseparable friend.
Their first conversation happens to be about love. While Elias is unsure about his romance with Valérie, whether she can be called his first love, Alexander talks in a matter-of-fact manner about his relationship with a boy in Brussels. For a moment, Elias, unaware of the existence of such relationships in a rural setting, is surprised, but it also makes him think. The conversation becomes a potential spark for him to explore his interests.
But despite this important issue at its center, on its surface the film is as serene as the idyllic rural landscape in which much of the film takes place. The screenwriter avoids serious conflicts, making it relatively trouble-free for the two young people to ease into the relationship. Ilyas’s self-doubt and confusion, especially regarding his own orientation and acceptance within the family and wider community, are possibly the only points of conflict. It seems like family and friends are all very eager to accept and celebrate her choice, which is the only part that turned out to be a little more convenient in the end. While centering LGBT drama, the film is also a heart-warming tale of a fun-filled childhood in the countryside, with adventures in an abandoned villa, on a grandfather’s farm, and in the river that runs through the neighborhood. Inevitable swimming involved. All moments were accompanied by a melodious piano-filled soundtrack. Both also face their share of bullying, with the timid Elias and the confident Alexander responding to it in contrasting ways. Ilyas’ anger towards his self-absorbed father, who ensures that every conversation at the dinner table is about his songs, comes across as another interesting side track.
The way some of the conflicts are resolved may seem overly simplistic, but Lou Goossens’ performance as Elias kicks the film up a few notches. Goossens brings a certain depth, with the range of emotions that appear on his face at certain moments, that is much more than one would expect from someone his age. young heart Becomes something more than a typical teen romance film, thanks in part to the performances.
published – December 16, 2024 08:47 PM IST
