A sequence of still images of a place that seems to be a mansion into the woods introduces us to lonely Joe (Khalil Gharbia) wearing a red t-shirt. After a while we learn the residence is a juvenile reform center.
Joe has Arab roots and shards of memories with his mother walking on a frozen lake where he finds a fish caught in the ice, unlike bears that hibernate, frozen fishes do not and, they never come back to life. This analogy refers to his state of mind.
Joe shares space with other mates, at the place they have professional trainers, proper meals, do sports, receive instruction and skills for life to reincorporate to society in the best way possible. Every intern longs for something and all of them obbey the rules, one of which is a prohibiton: physical contact is forbidden.
Coming from nowhere there is a new inmate, his name is William (Julien De Saint Jean) he has European roots and tattoos on his body.
After an outdoor activity, Joe and William sit together and share a joint, they stare at each other lit by the sun, there are attracted to each other and something begins to grown up among them.
In the microcosmos of the reform center, caged, Joe and William live in paradise and that is why the original tittle is more suitable for the film than the one given in English. While Joe loves music and sings political rap, William draws with a ballpen. They follow the rules of the house but also break them.
Days go by and Joe prepares to leave the center, supported by the system, he has the perspective to live alone in a small apartment, a place he would like to share with William
This fictional story is an interesting approach to the notion of masculinity, love and tenderness, leaving the message, at the end, that freedom is understanding the rules.
Belgian production directing debut by Zeno Graton Premiered at the Generation Section of Berlinale 73 in 2023.
Review by José Mayorga , Guatemala, Central America lawyer and notary public, visual artist, and editor of El Azar Cultural, lives and works in Guatemala City. Cinema lover, curious about the possibilities life brings and eager to live the experience.
Labels: 2024, Julien De Saint Jean, Khalil Gharbia, Le Paradis, The Lost Boys, Zeno Graton
