Wild Reeds

Set in 1962, this acclaimed drama chronicles the emotional and sexual awakenings of four French teenagers whose passage into adulthood is complicated by conflicting desires, political turmoil, and an uncertain future. Set in the dazzling and sun-drenched countryside of southwestern France, the film follows the four teenagers as they face the struggles and responsibilities of adulthood. Francois confronts his homosexuality after a brief encounter reinforces a teenage crush on classmate Serge. Serge, the son of local peasant farmers, is confounded when his older brother (who at the outset of the film had attempted to desert) is killed in the war, and he must capitulate to familial responsibilities. Maďté, the daughter of the school's politically active communist teacher, Mrs. Alvarez, struggles in her friendship with Francois, her attraction to Algerian-born ultraconservative Henri, and her mother's nervous breakdown. Henri, whose father was killed in the war and whose mother lives in hiding in Marseilles, nearly flunks out of school, clinging to the short-wave radio that brings news from Algeria. The four converge as they await their final grades, and the conflicting powers of class, sexuality, and love are played out as unlikely friendships are forged and childhood innocence is replaced by encroaching adulthood. (official distributor synopsis)