Elias (Lou Goossens), a shy 14-year-old, lives in a quiet Belgian town with his family, helping with his father’s music gigs, and having innocent sleepovers with his girlfriend. When Alexander (Marius De Saeger) moves in across the street, the two boys immediately hit it off, and Elias welcomes the more confident boy from Brussels into his group. However, Elias soon finds himself drawn into a turbulent and confusing attraction that challenges his understanding of friendship, love, and his own identity. As their bond intensifies, the boys are forced to confront the expectations of family, the scrutiny of peers, and their own fears about being vulnerable and different. Schatteman captures the intensity of teenage emotion with sensitivity and grace, using naturalistic performances and poetic visual storytelling to portray the longing and confusion that accompany first love.

Notes by David O’Mahony.