Laurent Matagne, a teenager in Belgium, lives with his widowed mother. With a bit of luck, Laurent is accepted at a boarding school for sons of soldiers that perished during the WWII conflict. His father, an air force pilot disappeared in 1944 and now, 1954, as the story begins, he is still unaccounted for, in a sort of legal limbo. Because of his status, Laurent's mother is facing a terrible time because of her meager allowance as a war widow.
The new school is a hostile environment for Laurent. He takes a while to settle. His worst enemy, Boulette, a classmate, occupies the bed next to him. There is no love between the boys. Complicating things, Laurent's language teacher, Vapeur, does not look kindly on the newly arrived student. This teacher has an unorthodox method, asking questions without much preparation from the kids. Laurent, who is failing in the class, is exiled to sit in the garden that overlooks a field with cows.
Laurent gets a reprieve from being outside when he begins writing stories, a product of his vivid imagination. Vapeur has a change of heart when he notices the potential in the boy. Boulette and Laurent, who became close friends after their initial problems, witness one day, during a medical examination, the scarred back of Vapeur. That will be the clue for Laurent to delve into his past. In many ways, the teacher, a friend of his father, holds the key to solving a mystery that has eluded Laurent for years.
The film was a total surprise for us when it was shown on a cable channel recently. Directed by Yves Hanchar, a Belgian director, it involved us from the start. M. Hanchar wrote the screenplay as well. The story is the quest of one boy trying to connect with his past. Finding whatever he can get about a father he hardly knew consumed this teenager until he faces the truth, something that he always suspected, but was never sure about it.
Thierry Lhermitte a distinguished French actor is wonderful as Vapeur. The surprise came from an unknown (at least to us) Milan Mauger, who as Laurent appears to be a natural. The supporting cast is excellent. And the cinematography by Raymond Fromont gets the atmosphere of the boarding school in vivid detail.
This was a pleasant surprise thanks to the talented Yves Hanchar and his vision.
The new school is a hostile environment for Laurent. He takes a while to settle. His worst enemy, Boulette, a classmate, occupies the bed next to him. There is no love between the boys. Complicating things, Laurent's language teacher, Vapeur, does not look kindly on the newly arrived student. This teacher has an unorthodox method, asking questions without much preparation from the kids. Laurent, who is failing in the class, is exiled to sit in the garden that overlooks a field with cows.
Laurent gets a reprieve from being outside when he begins writing stories, a product of his vivid imagination. Vapeur has a change of heart when he notices the potential in the boy. Boulette and Laurent, who became close friends after their initial problems, witness one day, during a medical examination, the scarred back of Vapeur. That will be the clue for Laurent to delve into his past. In many ways, the teacher, a friend of his father, holds the key to solving a mystery that has eluded Laurent for years.
The film was a total surprise for us when it was shown on a cable channel recently. Directed by Yves Hanchar, a Belgian director, it involved us from the start. M. Hanchar wrote the screenplay as well. The story is the quest of one boy trying to connect with his past. Finding whatever he can get about a father he hardly knew consumed this teenager until he faces the truth, something that he always suspected, but was never sure about it.
Thierry Lhermitte a distinguished French actor is wonderful as Vapeur. The surprise came from an unknown (at least to us) Milan Mauger, who as Laurent appears to be a natural. The supporting cast is excellent. And the cinematography by Raymond Fromont gets the atmosphere of the boarding school in vivid detail.
This was a pleasant surprise thanks to the talented Yves Hanchar and his vision.