GAZE Opening Gala: Le Paradis (+Pre-Feature Short)

CLUB 18+180 min

Opening gala for GAZE 2023, with feature film and pre-feature short.

FEATURE:

Le Paradis Dir. Zeno Graton Belgium/France, 2023 1h 23m

We have a real dynamite opener to make our return to GAZE 2023. Young love, lust, and law-breaking rear their heads in Zeno Graton’s incredible taut character-driven French/Belgian

gay drama, Le Paradis, aka The Lost Boys. The film contrasts the restless claustrophobia of a young men’s detention centre with the boundless thrills of first love, and young fantasies of the future, producing a story that is filled with yearning, complexity and humour.

The two central performances, wayward lads Joe (Khalil Gharbia) and William (Julian de Saint Jean), underpin what is truly a sensational ensemble cast effort. It’s hard to believe this is Graton’s feature film debut, so accomplished is the world contained in his film. Will love save the day in this explosive world of friction, fighting and fragile masculinity? Le Paradis brought the house down at the Berlinale and we hope it will do the same here in Dublin for our Opening Gala event of 2023. Welcome back to GAZE in August!

PRE-FEATURE SHORT:

Outsiders Dir. Rishi Chamman / Netherlands / 2023 / 12m

When a Hindustani young man Milan becomes buddy to a Syrian asylum seeker, it puts an

awkward strain on his family life. Their differences in opinions and perspectives come to the

surface and lead to an explosive situation.