Beating Hearts

A 2024 Franco-Belgian romantic drama film directed by Gilles Lellouche, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ahmed Hamidi and Audrey Diwan, based on the 1997 novel "Jackie Loves Johnser OK?" by Irish author Neville Thompson. The film spans 20 years, beginning in northeastern France, where two teenagers from different social backgrounds—a girl from an upper-middle-class family and a boy from a working-class family—fall madly in love. Their romance is quickly doomed when he ends up in prison. The lead roles are played by Adèle Exarchopoulos and François Civil. The ensemble cast also includes Mallory Wanecque, Malik Frikah, Alain Chabat, Benoît Poelvoorde, Vincent Lacoste, Jean-Pascal Zadi, Élodie Bouchez, Karim Leklou, Raphaël Quenard, and Anthony Bajon. The film premiered on May 23, 2024, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it received mostly negative reviews from critics. It was theatrically released on October 16, 2024, in France by StudioCanal and in Belgium by Cinéart. The film received 13 nominations at the 50th César Awards, including Best Director for Lellouche, Best Actress for Exarchopoulos, and Best Actor for Civil, with Chabat winning Best Supporting Actor.