“When you first fall in love, everything else around you seems to melt away and pretty much nothing or no one else seems to exist. In the French-Canadian film Genesis (Genese), about adolescent love, director Philippe Lesage weaves this idea of full-on immediacy and a very blinkered view into the fabric of his storytelling, delivering a film that feels intensely alive and in the moment.” – Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter
“Philippe Lesage takes chances, and succeeds with boldly original form and narrative. Critic’s Pick.” – Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times
“A study of duality, family and youth, Genesis is considerate in its beauty and agony, a successful exploration of first love and first heartbreak.” – Nick Davie, Spectrum Culture
Following his autobiographical 2015 narrative debut The Demons (also available now on Dekkoo), writer-director Philippe Lesage chronicles the life of young Felix (Édouard Tremblay-Grenier), now diverging to capture the romantic trials and tribulations of two Quebecois teen siblings. While the charismatic, Salinger-reading Guillaume (Théodore Pellerin) wrestles with his sexual identity at his all-boys boarding school, the more ostensibly grown-up Charlotte (Noée Abita) discovers the casual cruelty of the adult world that awaits her post-graduation. Lesage and his young actors depict the aches of becoming oneself with nuance, honesty, and compassion, and the result is one of the most beautiful coming-of-age stories in years.
Watch the trailer for Genèse below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.
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