The acclaimed new drama from Camera d’Or-winning writer/director Claire Burger, FOREIGN LANGUAGE depicts the bittersweet and boundary-testing friendship between two 17-year-old schoolgirls —one German, one French – as they grapple with how to understand themselves and others around them in a post-pandemic world.
The shy and withdrawn Fanny is looking for a fresh start when she arrives in Leipzig by train from Strasbourg as part of a foreign exchange program, where she is staying at the home of her pen pal Lena, a political activist in training, and her single mother (Nina Hoss). The teens don’t immediately hit it off; but they soon develop a strong, life-changing bond, encouraging one another’s rebellious streaks in increasingly provocative ways. But when it is time for Lena to return the visit and stay with Fanny and her well-meaning parents in France, things begin to unravel...
A compelling journey through not only the preoccupations of today’s adolescents, but also Franco-German relations, Burger’s fresh and dynamic film confirms her promise as one of European cinema’s brightest new voices.
OFFICIAL SELECTION – Berlin International Film Festival 2024 (In Competition)
NOMINEE – Best Film: Golden Berlin Bear, Teddy Award, Berlin International Film Festival 2024
"A moving cross-cultural coming-of-ager. Tough and tender... with a big heart."
- The Hollywood Reporter
Tuesday 7th May
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105 min
CTC
Nina Hoss, Lilith Grasmug, Chiara Mastroianni, Josefa Heinsius, Jalal Altawil
Claire Burger
Film Festival
German, French with English subtitles
Palace Balwyn Cinema, Palace James Street, Palace Barracks, Palace Norton St, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Electric, Palace Byron Bay, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Central Sydney, Palace Moore Park, Kino Cinema, Palace Raine Square