One Day in Summer

Un jour d'été
France, 2006. 94 mins. Parasol Pics.

In Franck Guerin's feature debut a quiet, rural village in France becomes saturated with anxiety when a tragic accident results in the death of a local boy. Amidst this tense dissection of a small community's secrets the film casts a restrained yet penetrating gaze upon the life-changing summer of a teenage boy. After the death of his best friend, Sebastien has to come to terms with conflicting feelings towards him, a mix of longing and resentment complicated by past bereavements, class difference and Sebastien's burgeoning, uncertain sexuality. Everything comes together in a beautiful, disconcerting mix of haunting atmosphere and understated psychological exploration.

Director: Franck Guérin