RODEO

2022 / 105 min / color

Julie, played by newcomer Julie Ledru, is a thrill-seeking outsider with a taste for speed. The protagonist of Lola Quivoron’s film (which won an award at the Cannes Film Festival) gets real joy from being surrounded with the roar of motorbikes and the smell of burning gasoline. She’ll stop at nothing to get a new bike and test it out, which attracts the attention of a local motorbike gang. Julia desperately wants to break into their world, but it seems out of reach. Full of rage at the reality of her life, this feels like the only place where she might be able to be herself, but she will come to realize that everything has its price. Rodeo is one of the most dynamic films of the last festival season. Featuring non-professional actors and full of extraordinary stunts, Quiviron’s debut feature is an Easy Rider for the modern age. It’s also proof that the world of racing doesn’t have to be a domain of masculinity.

• Cannes IFF – Jury Coup de Coeur (Un Certain Regard)
• ; Sevilla EFF – Best Actress (Julie Ladru)
• Torino IFF – Special Jury Prize, Best Actress (Julie Ladru), Holden Award for Best Script (Special Mention)