Gilles is an aspiring artist and politically engaged teenager who, along with his friends, is carried away by the revolutionary ideas of late May 1968. During the day, they discuss left-wing theories; at night, they plaster the streets with political slogans. But the rebellious exuberance comes at a price: when one action gets out of hand and a security guard is injured, the group is forced to leave Paris. While fleeing through Italy and England, they encounter new ideologies, new loves and the question of how much of their revolutionary fire can survive in the face of reality. While some cling uncompromisingly to the dream of a better world, others begin to reorient themselves. Olivier Assayas's SOMETHING IN THE AIR combines the atmosphere of a turbulent era with a personal coming-of-age story inspired by the director's own youth. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the award for best screenplay. With its detailed look at a generation caught between rebellion and adulthood, the film is a clever reflection on political passion and the compromises of life. With a sensitive ensemble of young actors and a visually impressive production, Assayas captures the energy and insecurity of a time when everything seemed possible – and yet not everything lasted. SOMETHING IN THE AIR is an homage to youthful idealism and the irrepressible search for identity.
Drama
2h 5min
12 FSK
FR
EN
DE
Paris, early 70s: torn between radical political commitment and personal ambitions, a young student is engulfed by the turmoil of the times.
Gilles is an aspiring artist and politically engaged teenager who, along with his friends, is carried away by the revolutionary ideas of late May 1968. During the day, they discuss left-wing theories; at night, they plaster the streets with political slogans. But the rebellious exuberance comes at a price: when one action gets out of hand and a security guard is injured, the group is forced to leave Paris. While fleeing through Italy and England, they encounter new ideologies, new loves and the question of how much of their revolutionary fire can survive in the face of reality. While some cling uncompromisingly to the dream of a better world, others begin to reorient themselves.
Olivier Assayas's SOMETHING IN THE AIR combines the atmosphere of a turbulent era with a personal coming-of-age story inspired by the director's own youth. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the award for best screenplay. With its detailed look at a generation caught between rebellion and adulthood, the film is a clever reflection on political passion and the compromises of life.
With a sensitive ensemble of young actors and a visually impressive production, Assayas captures the energy and insecurity of a time when everything seemed possible – and yet not everything lasted. SOMETHING IN THE AIR is an homage to youthful idealism and the irrepressible search for identity.