Opening 16 Jan 2025
Directed by:
Anthony Schatteman
Writing credits:
Anthony Schatteman
Principal actors:
Lou Goossens, Marius De Saeger, Geert Van Rampelberg, Emilie De Roo, Dirk van Dijck
Elias (Lou Goossens), age fourteen, lives in a small village in Belgium. His new neighbor, Alexander (Marius De Saeger), is the same age. Naturally, in this small environment, they become friends. Eventually, Alexander reveals to Elias that he prefers relationships with boys, i.e., he is gay. This is a situation which Elias must reconsider. Can he continue this friendship; will he be bullied; is he also gay? But without Alexander he is alone. They even travel together to Alexander’s original home in Brussels. Luckily, Elias’s grandfather Fred (Dirk von Dijck), who lives in a trailer, can share his own experiences, i.e., falling in love with Elias’s grandmother. With the support of this new information, Elias now has the courage to fight for his feelings.
Young Hearts premiered at the 2024 Berlinale in the category Generation 14plus. Although these days, there are frequent films showing gay relationships, this is my first experience with “young” lovers. Forty minutes into the film Elias and Alexander kiss. Here, family members sing throughout, even on stage. There are eleven songs in all including “The First Love.” There is a costume party with two kids appearing as an angel and a knight. This is the first major role in a long film for both Lou Goossens and Marius De Saeger, although Goossens has some experience in series and one short film. We will definitely see them more often in the future; they are the driving force in Young Hearts—not to be missed. (Becky Tan)
