Breathe (Respire)

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Q&A with Mélanie Laurent!

“Laurent is best known as an actress, but Breathe, her assured, potent second feature as a director, gives us good reason to pay attention to what she’s doing behind the camera as well as in front of it… By turns moody and piercing, Breathe captures both the intimacy and the potentially claustrophobic quality of teenage friendship… Laurent has such a deft touch — and is so delicately in tune with her two lead actresses — that she makes you believe you’re seeing it all for the first time.” – Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice

Internationally acclaimed actress Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) follows up her 2011 feature directorial debut, The Adopted, with a perceptive account of high-school angst and obsession. Shy 17-year-old Charlie (Joséphine Japy) becomes fast friends with Sarah (Lou de Laâge), a new arrival in their school. The outgoing Sarah coaxes Charlie out of her shell and becomes a fixture in her home, but when the two go on holiday together their relationship turns sour. Laurent trusts her gifted young stars with challenging long takes and they reward her faith in abundance. Featuring César winner Isabelle Carré (Beautiful Memories) as Charlie’s dysfunctional mother, BREATHE echoes Blue Is the Warmest Color in broad strokes but paints its own striking portrait of youthful ardor and codependency. Nominated for two César Awards.

Additional screening March 9 at the .

Part of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2015

• Language In French with English subtitles
• Rating NR
• Running Time 91 minutes
• Director Mélanie Laurent

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.