François Ozon (By the Grace of God, Young & Beautiful) is returning with a queer romance that, judging by the first trailer, may resonate with fans of Call Me By Your Name with its sun-kissed European locale and a summer of love. Summer of 85 (Été ’85) marks the first official selection at Cannes to be released theatrically in France, arriving on July 14th, 2020, with hopefully a U.S. release to follow, pending distribution.
Set in, of course, 1985, the story follows sixteen-year-old Alexis (Félix Lefebvre) who is heroically saved by eighteen-year-old David (Benjamin Voisin) of the coast of Le Tréport. A connection that straddles the line between friendship and love is created as Alexis believes he has found the man of his dreams. The connection is tested by the arrival of a girl named Kate (Philippine Velge) who is thrown into the mix.
See the trailer below.
What do you dream of when you’re 16 years old and in a seaside resort in Normandy in the 1980s? A best friend? A lifelong teen pact? Scooting off on adventures on a boat or a motorbike? Living life at breakneck speed? No. You dream of death. Because you can’t get a bigger kick than dying. And that’s why you save it till the very end. The summer holidays are just beginning, and this story recounts how Alexis grew into himself.
Summer of 85 will have its theatrical release July 14, 2020 in France.