AFFFF26 Enzo

The beautiful final work of the late Palme d’Or winner Laurent Cantet (The Class), brought to the screen by his longtime collaborator Robin Campillo (BPM, AF FFF18), ENZO is a tender meditation of adolescent longing, and the quiet rebellions that shape us. 16-year-old Enzo (extraordinary newcomer Eloy Pohu) has everything: a sun-drenched luxury home overlooking the Mediterranean, loving parents (Pierfrancesco Favino and Élodie Bouchez), and a future mapped toward privilege. Yet something unnameable pulls him to a different path and he commences a masonry apprenticeship, among people who work not because they choose to but because they have to. On site he meets Vlad, a charismatic Ukrainian labourer who is facing pressure to return and fight in his country’s war against Russia. Vlad’s easy masculinity and uncertain future awaken something in the young man: he’s everything Enzo wishes he was. As their unlikely friendship deepens, Enzo will be forced to confront questions bigger than desire: about class, about duty, and about true courage. Shot through with Campillo’s sensual eye and Cantet’s abiding compassion for the not-yet formed and searching, this is an enormously moving portrait of a teen stumbling toward himself. ENZO’s world premiere as the Opening Film of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight was rapturously received by both audiences and critics. It’s a lovely film.