Summary

Claude Miller directed this French psychological drama adapted from Emmanuel Carrere's 1995 novel (based on a factual news item). Detailing a troubled boy's traumas at a holiday camp, the film recalls Miller's other adolescent dramas -- The Little Thief, The Best Way to Walk (also at a holiday camp), and An Impudent Girl. When young Nicolas (Clement Van Den Bergh) is set to go on a school ski trip, his father (Francois Roy) has safety concerns because of a recent bus accident. Instead of allowing Nicolas to join his classmates on the bus, he chooses to drive the youth to the camp, upping the boy's anxiety level. At the remote camp, Nicolas forgets to take his bag from the car, bringing more fears to the surface. He becomes friends with an undisciplined boy, Hodkann (Lokman Nalcakan), who lends him pajamas. The film dramatizes Nicolas' visions as he describes his dreams and nightmares to Hodkann. Shown in competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi