Boukherma Brothers’ Youth Drama Bogged Down by Repetition – Venice Festival

There is a faint echo of Francois Truffaut in the Venice Film Festival entry *And Their Children After Them* (*Leurs Enfants Après Eux*), a sunlit story set in a moribund French steel town in the 1990s. Themes like first love, sexual awakening, and the spontaneity of youth are explored. However, the charm fades as the narrative grows repetitive and the central characters lack appeal.

Gormless working-class boy Anthony, played by Paul Kircher, pursues Steph, portrayed by Angelina Woreth, from one summer to the next. Their first encounter takes place at a picturesque local lake after Anthony and his cousin steal a canoe. Later, a party brings them together again, where Anthony clashes with Hacine, leading to a feud that mirrors his unfulfilled yearning for Steph.

Directors Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma adapted the film from a bildungsroman by Nicolas Mathieu. They cite a kinship with Hollywood coming-of-age films, which is evident in the soundtrack. Notable tracks from Iron Maiden and Bruce Springsteen, among others, underscore the story elements.

The American influence extends to the film’s feel of urgent movement. For instance, Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” accompanies a frenzied rush by two boys on bicycles to a local nudist beach, while Springsteen’s “Born to Run” bookends a story where motorbikes symbolize freedom.

Anthony’s choice to sneak out to a party on his father’s old, unused but cherished bike sets off the drama. At just 14, Anthony’s scuffle with Hacine leads to Hacine stealing the bike. The boys’ attempts to retrieve it bring them into their region’s charged racial divide, with hostile Arab gangs and a terrifying white thug offering a gun.

Anthony’s misstep with the bike ignites a lifetime of pent-up fury in his father, disrupting the precarious family balance. The family’s dynamic is compelling, thanks to superb supporting performances. Ludivine Sagnier brings warmth and toughness to her role as Anthony’s mother, while Gilles Lellouche delivers a dark energy as his drunken father, whose life was upended when the local steel industry collapsed.

Social commentary subtly permeates the film, providing depth beyond Anthony’s fleeting lust for Steph, who he awkwardly compliments with “you’re pretty.” The class consciousness is palpable. Steph’s family is better off but she feels inferior at university. Hacine’s intelligence is evident through a glimpse of literary paperbacks on his desk, yet his racial background holds him back.

The Boukherma brothers’ last film was set in a small town but involved genre elements. *And Their Children After Them* shifts to literary romance, feeling overstuffed despite efforts to pare down the original novel.

Despite the film’s contemporary soundtrack, some aspects feel outdated. Steph remains an enigmatic object of desire, and Anthony retains his simplistic character traits even after four years. The final summer’s Bastille Day fireworks evoke a sense of wistfulness, suggesting that life will continue unchanged.

**Title:** *And Their Children After Them*
**Festival:** Venice (Competition)
**Directors-Screenwriters:** Zoran Boukherma, Ludovic Boukherma
**Cast:** Paul Kircher, Angélina Woreth, Sayyid El Alami, Gilles Lellouche, Ludivine Sagnier, Louis Memmi
**Sales Agent:** Charades
**Running Time:** 2 hrs 24 mins

Source: Venice Film Festival