Julien – séance en audiodescription

“Direct cinema has often made the most of the pressing need of teenagers to tear themselves away from their roots. But the inhabitants of Beauce, filmed by Gaël Lépingle, stay rooted in their wheat fields. As apprentices, they describe the labouring life that awaits them and suits them, the family they want to start. Even their lively dances remain physically wellbehaved. Could this be an unadventurous French version of Terrence Malick’s incandescent Badlands? Julien gently seeks to nuance this early formatting with a tangible affection for the people it films. It quickly slips out of the skin of generational documentary to create a harmonious co-existence between a combine-harvester and Bach, a scooter and Robert Walser’s texts.” (Charlote Garson)