張珝＋李悅 & feedback on Chroniques d'une cour de récré

This film gives us a scent of Europe. The director uses colors and figures as metaphor to tell the story. People's clothing is blocks of color that could suggest their state. Those hanging bottles represent people's fragile wishes. Even the circumstance of the television implies that of Brahim's family. The TV breaks down and can't be repaired when Brahim's father is about to lose his job. The mustache brings a new black-and-white television which is just as the unsatisfactory solution.

This film shows the story of a period of time in Brahim's childhood.This memory contains almost every element people could have when they were young. There are a personal playground, good mates, puppy love and fascinating dreams. But there also are regrets. The unexpected affair disorders the ordinary life of Brahim's family. Brahim's playground, which means the factory, is shut down. Best mates are separated. And Brahim can't take a photo in which he stands beside the girl he admires. Besides, the film also shows us some hardship of immigrant and political persecution in a perspective of children.

Life experience is empathized. We particularly like the way the director puts some fixed image into the fluid video. It is just like when we look back, there are those shining moments in our life freezing into indelible fixed spots.

張珝

李悅