BEST OF FESTS

LOVE ME TENDER

2025 / 137 min / color

Clémence is a woman willing to embrace radical transformation. A former attorney, she has abandoned a prestigious legal career to pursue writing, a path she finds a lot more fulfilling. She’s been separated for several years from her husband Laurent, with whom she co-parents their eight-year-old son. But their amicable arrangement turns into a nightmare when Clémence reveals she’s begun dating a woman. Feeling betrayed, Laurent cuts off her contact with their son and launches a ruthless legal battle for sole custody. Anna Cazenave Cambet’s film is a powerful, poignant story in which the perspective of the individual — a woman and a mother — comes up against a cold, hard system and rigid societal definitions of what constitutes “responsible parenting.” The French director raises questions about the limits of freedom, portraying a woman’s struggle with pain, humiliation, and a bureaucratic nightmare. The film is anchored by a mesmerizing performance by Vicky Krieps – one of the most acclaimed European actresses of her generation – who has described this role as an exceptionally challenging and deeply personal journey.

• Rio de Janeiro IFF – Special Jury Prize