Gilles Lellouche’s epic drama, adapted from Irish writer Neville Thompson’s 1997 Dublin-set novel Jackie Loves Johnser, OK?, explores the star-crossed romance between two teenagers, one a diligent student, the other a budding criminal, who are separated for a decade before being reunited in adulthood. Opening in northern France in the mid-1980s, we are introduced to petty crook Clotaire and his schoolmate Jackie; as first love blossoms, gang violence entices him onto a darker path. Years later, the lovers, now played by Adele Exarchopoulos and Francois Civil, discover that every choice they’ve made leads them back together.

Notes by David O’Mahony.

Screening as part of IFI French Film Festival 2024.