RODEO
US Premiere
TRAILBLAZERS | MIND THE GAP | WORLD
France 2022, 105 min, Director: Lola Quivoron
Lola Quivoron kicks up major cinematic dust with her riveting feature debut. Julia, a young woman in love with motorbikes and addicted to speed and dangerous thrills, takes her swagger to the limit to infiltrate an all-male pack of riders. Newcomer Julie Ledru plays Julia with unnerving toughness as a woman who will do anything to ride, even masterminding a bold heist to prove herself to local kingpin Domino (Sébastien Schroeder), who runs a crime ring from inside jail. A top prizewinner at Cannes, the film relates a passionate story of single-minded dedication and nonconformity, while condemning the misogynistic underpinnings of biker culture. Julia stands out as a solitary figure in a man’s world, yet she’s fully in tune with another woman’s plight, putting her own safety at risk as she becomes increasingly protective of Domino’s wife and child. Raphaël Vandenbussche’s intimate cinematography, punctuated by adrenaline-pumping scenes that build to a stunning finale, make Rodeo a high-octane ride you will never forget. —Ela Bittencourt
TV5MONDE | CAFILM FRENCH CINEMA SPONSOR
In French with English subtitles
Guests expected: writer-director Lola Quivoron, writer Antonia Buresi