Freestyle
En roue libre
FRANCE
Directed by: Didier Barcelo
There’s anxiety, and then there’s anxiety _à la_ Louise! In this lively, absurdist comedy, Louise, who is just coming out of a painful separation and a run of bad luck, finally gives up at the sight of a parking ticket. After a desperate hunt to find a new spot, she parks the car and swings open the door, but discovers she cannot get out. With no physical barrier confining her, she comes to the stark and deeply unsettling realization that the only thing preventing her from leaving the car is herself! Panicked and confused, she is jolted out of her distracted state by a stranger suddenly breaking into her car. With Louise stuck and the carjacker desperate to get to the south coast of France, the two decide to surrender to this bizarre fate and embark on an unexpected road trip—and a just as unexpected (and unlikely) friendship. Buckle up.
“The premise is light-hearted and absurd but still grounded in the human need for connection … And the actors are so charismatic [that] we come to love these two eccentric characters and their relationship.”
Alex Heeney, Seventh Row
This films is part of Young French Cinema, a program of Unifrance and Villa Albertine.
Language:
In French with English subtitles
Genre:
COMEDY
Runtime:
89 min
YEAR:
2022
Pre-reserved tickets are sold out. Only free tickets available at the door. First come, first served.
[Horák] matches each of the film’s periods to a different style: the 1960s to the Czech New Wave, the 1970s to normalization films, and the 1980s to documentary-like grainy footage. The stylisation enables a fine adjustment of dramatic effects”
(Martin Kudláč, Cineuropa).
Awards:
- Bulgarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards 2018
- Golden Rose Festival of Bulgarian film: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Critics Gild Award and Audience Award