Winter Boy

Juliette Binoche stars alongside newcomer Paul Kircher in director Christophe Honoré's emotionally-en-pointe reflection on teenage grief.

Seventeen year-old Lucas (Paul Kircher) is drifting through his final years of boarding school, blithely passing time with his boyfriend, but mostly looking forward to following his older brother Quentin (Vincent Lacoste) to Paris. A sudden accident soon strips away everything Lucas has taken for granted. With his mother Isabelle (Juliette Binoche) unable to console him, Lucas decides to spend a week in Paris with Quentin and his flatmate.

Curator's Note

Considered his best film by some, Winter Boy is indisputably Christophe Honoré's most personal to date. The director, like the central character, lost his father at the age of seventeen, and perhaps that is what gives the film its vivid emotional authenticity. A stunning performance by newcomer Paul Kircher seals the deal.

Two years on from the film's premiere in Toronto and subsequent release, Christophe Honoré returns to Cannes with his new film Marcello Mio Again, we can expect a reflection on real-ish life, but the lens will shift from director to actor and frequent collaborator Chiara Mastroianni.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)