- France
RODEO
Synopsis
Julia (Julie Ledru) is hot-tempered, proud, and lives in a housing estate on the edge of Paris, in constant conflict with her mother. What keeps her alive is motorbikes: on classified-ad sites she poses as a buyer, has the machines handed over for a test ride and never comes back. At a “rodeo” – an illegal gathering where riders show off their machines and their stunts – she falls in with a tight-knit gang that lives off theft. Julia wants to belong, and the men set conditions: ever riskier jobs, rides on which her standing in the group is at stake. “Rodeo” by Lola Quivoron (France, 2022) is a film about speed, belonging, and a young woman in a world not built for her.
French director Lola Quivoron researched the urban motocross scene for her debut and found in newcomer Julie Ledru a lead actress who carries the film. It reads as a queer drama, because Julia fits none of the roles the group assigns her. It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section in Cannes in 2022, where “Rodeo” received the Prix Coup de Cœur. “Rodeo” was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin in 2022.
Festival
Shown at the 2022 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.
