Hidden Desires: Close

sare you married? “This question, directed at the two boys Léo and Rémi, can be cute, it can be asked simply out of interest. But it can also be mean. Because Léo and Rémi are actually still too young to know exactly what a couple is, and what it could be.” Love, and what makes a relationship.In the schoolyard they are bound to get along well.They are definitely best friends and neighbors too.Léo comes from a farm that grows poppies, and Rémi’s parents enjoy a beautiful home in the area, secluded and close to nature.There is no heaven, but a world Two boys can grow up in it freely and don’t have to worry about what’s special about their friendship.You can only see what’s special from the outside.

Lukas Dhont’s “Close” tells of this particular thing, although he chose this outside perspective in a way that also illustrates the field of view that always opens up when you look at people with a certain interest. At first, Dhont does little more than take a closer look. It shows the security in which Leo and Remy grow up. Rémi plays the oboe, preparing to perform, for a solo, Léo naturally in the audience. His musical talent is limited, but he only decided to play ice hockey as a recreational activity after he was brought up with this question: “Are you two together?” For the first time he sees himself and Remy from the outside. Thus, the bond of innocence that bound the boys was broken.