This film devastated us tonight. As far as I know, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, but I really couldn’t take account through my own teary orbs.

Lucas Dhont’s Close first celebrates a beautiful, innocent friendship between two young boys, Remi and Leo (pictured above) spending one last golden Belgian summer together before heading off to high school, and then mourns the gradual decay of that friendship due to peer pressure. “Are you two together?” asks one of the girl students, planting a destructive seed in Leo’s head.

Were they “together”? Who cares?

Outstanding performances from Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele as Leo and Remi, and Émilie Dequenne as Remi’s adorable mother. I was thinking how she looked familiar… Duh. Rosetta. Nice to see a child actor develop like this.

Another great NewScreen night. Thanks to all who shared!