15/18

Lucia (17) (Malou Khebizi) is brought by the police to the psychiatric unit for 15- to 18-year-olds at a public hospital — a place she knows all too well. Back among familiar faces, she reunites with her friend Eloïse, who has been in hospital for a long time, and meets a group of teenagers, each struggling to find their place in a world that often seems impossible to understand. Amid moments of crisis, unexpected bursts of laughter and new friendships, patients and caregivers learn to live together. Small moments of relief and glimpses of hope begin to emerge. But when Enzo, a mysterious new patient, arrives, the fragile balance on the ward is disturbed. With 15/18 (A Place to Heal), Cédric Kahn (Fête de Famille, La Prière) offers a moving and deeply human portrait of adolescence and vulnerability. The film shows how human connection can help people recover. It finds lightness and unexpected humour in the most vulnerable situations. 15/18 (A Place to Heal) premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won several awards, including the Best Young Actress award for Malou Khebizi. The film also received awards at FIFF Namur, winning three prizes, including one from the youth jury and the prestigious Bayard d’Or.