Belgian buddy drama brings beautiful nuance to first love between two young boys in the countryside. Anthony Schatteman’s debut feature, Young Hearts, premiered in the Generation Kplus strand of the 74th Berlinale.
First love can be traumatic, especially if you are not yet ready for it. In his feature-length debut film Young Hearts (Junge Herzen), Belgian director Anthony Schatteman delivers a beautiful tale of gay pre-teen drama. Rather than encasing the story with a tragic conclusion, not to mention Lukas Dhont’s Close and Kore-eda’s Queer Palm-winning film Monster, which I adore, Young Hearts will wind up being a feel-good film for many and a worthy addition to the finest queer cinema.
Premiered in the Generation Kplus strand at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, the film tells the story of 14-year-old Elias (Lou Goossens), living his best life in a small village with his family. Although his father is more obsessed with his career as a local singer whose latest song gained success, Elias seems unruffled by the situation because he is surrounded by a group of friends including Valerie (Saar Rogiers), whom he is attracted to. Both consider their bond more than “just friends,” but when Alexander (Marius De Saeger) moves from Brussels into his neighborhood, Elias realizes that his first love is a boy.
But like many boys (or girls), Elias is still confused by the feelings inside him. He doesn’t want society to judge him or to disappoint Valerie, although Alexander is not hiding his affection for boys. Fear is crawling inside Elias’ mind.
Drawing the story from his personal life, experiencing a difficult childhood and being insecure about his sexuality, writer-director Anthony Schatteman put effort into building a film that celebrates sensitivity with a warm touch through his lens. It is a familiar story about two boys loving each other, but with his solid visual style, he manages to bring so much joy and generosity to his characters. Along with a beautiful musical score by Ruben De Gheselle, dancing with every bright frame in Schatteman’s film, this lovely first feature reminds us of how remarkable a well-made family film can be. Young Hearts is a touching, delightful film about friendship and love, and not to be missed.
The film is produced by Xavier Rombaut (Polar Bear) and co-produced by Floor Onrust (Family Affair Films) and Annabella Nezri (Kwassa Films) and is being sold by Films Boutique, with French and Benelux releases set to follow.
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