French actress Aure Atika and director Jennifer Devoldère came to Liège to present ” Le Panache ” at the opening ceremony of the Liège International Comedy Film Festival, held at the Forum.
Behind its romantic teen-movie feel, Jennifer Devoldère’s new film carries a real message of acceptance, and underlines the hope represented by the new generation.
After Sage-Homme, where she focused on a young man lost in a predominantly female milieu, French director Jennifer Devoldère continues to explore the figure of the outsider in a new feature film released this Wednesday, November 20: Le Panache. Part family comedy-drama, part teen movie, this film tells the story of Colin, a stuttering, introverted schoolboy who, after a move initiated by his mother, struggles to find his feet in his new school.
Naturally discreet and hampered by diction problems, our young hero is drawn out of his solitude by French teacher Devarseau – played by a convincing José Garcia – who encourages him to join his drama class. In the course of this extracurricular activity, he gradually gains self-confidence and sees an opportunity to get closer to the sympathetic Adé, for whom he has a crush. Although Le Panache could go the way of the romantic teen movie, it prefers to focus on a story of friendship, coupled with a message of queer acceptance.
Friendship rather than romance
Upon his arrival at college, Colin gets to know Max, a classmate who takes pleasure in putting on makeup behind his conservative father’s back. The film could lean more heavily on this idea of two outcasts supporting each other, one because of his stammer and the other because of his gender expression. Of course, there’s a little of this in Le Panache, but the clear and touching bond between these two teenagers is not only marked by their difference.
When Max is ousted from the play – an adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac – despite wanting to play the female lead, Colin fails to defend him to his fellow students. As a chill sets in between them, Colin makes his way to his friend’s home, at the foot of his balcony, to apologize and indulge in a theatrical declaration of friendship.
Comedy-drama by Jennifer Devoldère, with José Garcia, Joachim Arseguel, Aure Atika (France, 1h33).
