FALCON LAKE

2022 / 100 min / color

Is it a story about a first summertime love, or a suspenseful ghost story? Canadian director Charlotte Le Bon’s debut feature deftly combines the two. 13-year-old Bastien spends the lazy days of summer at a lakeside holiday home. He’s clearly infatuated with the girl next door, the slightly older Chloé. At first she’s aloof, but eventually she responds to Bastien’s interest, and their relationship grows closer as they spend more time together. Despite their age difference, a special bond forms between them, full of innocent fooling around, simmering emotions, and spooky stories. The mysterious, poetic mood of Le Bon’s film is enhanced by the surrounding landscape, which functions as an important character of the film. Falcon Lake is a story about the ups and downs of growing up: first crushes, heartbreak and loss. The multi-layered tone of the film comes from the highly original script, but also from the outstanding performances of the young lead actors Sara Montpetit and Joseph Engel, brilliantly directed by Le Bon, who has considerable acting experience herself.

• Chicago IFF – Golden Hugo
• Bucarest IFF – Grand Prize
• Vancouver IFF – Emerging Canadian Director