What it’s about
In 1984, homely, middle-aged gay doctor Adrien (Blanc) brings his arrogant young companion Manu (Libereau) to the Riviera vacation home of his close friend Sarah (Beart), a well-heeled childrens-book author from Paris. Sarahs in an open marriage to Mehdi (Bouajila), a French Moroccan police inspector who feels shes indifferent to their newborn son. When Mehdi saves Manu from drowning in a cove one day, a sizzling secret romance sparks between them. But future days will not be so bright for Manu, as the AIDS virus makes its appearance.
Why we love it
A close-knit group of friends copes with tragedy and affairs of the heart in Andre Techines lushly photographed ensemble drama set in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Told in three chapters, the film tracks each characters response to Manus sudden life-threatening illness, and the revelation of his passionate affair with Mehdi. An insightful meditation on the nature of intimacy and strength of character-as well as the familial bonds that form between friends, Techine’s film feels as quirky and unpredictable as life itself. “Witness” it for yourself.
Emmanuelle Beart, Julie Depardieu, Johan Libereau, Michel Blanc, Sami Bouajila Andre Techine