La Tendresse

Frans and Lisa have been divorced for 15 years. Now they are setting off for the Alpine ski resort of Flaine to take care of their son, a skiing instructor who has broken his leg. As they journey together, a myriad of emotions and feelings float to the surface, along with memories that still unite them after all these years apart. Is it jealousy, hostility, indifference, friendship, reciprocity, or even love? The director doesn’t assess what’s going on, nor look towards a happy ending. It is more important for her to create an impression of the overall situation. She speaks about what prompted her to make the film: “I have seen many films about break-ups. Almost all of them end badly. Men and women who have loved one other, who have had children together, separate and start hating each other, hurting each other. That always seemed strange to me. Could they have been so misguided? How can love transform itself into something so different? I wanted Tenderness to end up being a ‘feel-good movie.’ A film that makes viewers happy, even if the story is sometimes tinged with a certain nostalgia.” A personal road movie that screened in its world premiere at the Rotterdam IFF. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)