“Being locked up in a detention centre creates a sense of family among marginalised people, a bond that is deeper than their external differences”.

Tickets and more information about ‘The Lost Boys’.

The Franco-Belgian film ‘The Lost Boys’ is an ‘extravagant and anti-authoritarian’ love story between two boys who meet while serving a sentence in a juvenile correctional facility. Instead of focusing the plot on violence or the misunderstanding of theirs peers and tutors, director Zano Graton wanted to focus on the normalization of homosexuality and the positive aspects that tolerance spreads in the social environment.

How important was it for you to avoid violence in exploring love and desire between two teenagers in a juvenile detention center?

For me, storytelling in films around queer love have often been about violence. For me it was political in a way to normalize tolerance, to make it possible, and to show that a group of boys can actually accept a queer love, and  react with support. Being locked up in a detention center creates a sense of family of marginals, a bond that is deeper than their outer differences. They have the same enemy, which is the institution, they suffer from the same lack of love, the same lack of human tenderness. When Joe and William love each other in the middle of this prison, their tenderness irradiates everyone else, and inspire freedom to all. 

What has been the influence of Jean Genet’s short movie Un chant d’amour in the film?

Jean Genet’s work is a major inspiration for this film. His books and the film have given me strength in daring to propose a flamboyant and anti-authoritarian love story. The character’s love travels through the thick wall, and their desire burn them to their core. It’s a movie from the 50´s, was very avant-garde at the time, and is a masterpiece in editing and cinematography. 

You visited some juvenile detention centers, places that actually are very closed and very invisible, and talk with people to do research on the theme. Was there an urge to show and depict such hidden reality?

I would say there was a necessity. My cousin was placed there, and I never had the chance to visit him. These places were haunting me, and I wanted to give them a face, a voice. I discovered so many things there, far from the clichés we often see, or hear. I found a place where the educators give themselves a 100% for the kids, but are stopped in their work by a system that doesnt work anymore. Being locked up in the countryside, cut from their close ones, cut from everything, is not a good way to reintegrate society. Different places in the world have stopped to use these facilities and have re-think this system, keeping the kids connected to a social net.

The film depends in the preparation of these teens to reintegrate in society. Do you think of the attitude toward youth rehabilitation positively different from reinsertion of adults?

They are definitely more followed by educators, teachers, psychologists than prisoners in adult prisons. They are in the same time more watched, every minute of everyday. Reinsertion numbers are not good. The system fails. 

How much have your studies on cinematography to do with the lyricism of the image in your film, stepped away from the codes of the social film?

With my DOP Olivier Boonjing, we wanted to use the codes of a love story. It was important to portray the passion, in a passionate way. We had a very good communication about where we were going. We used anamorphic lenses, a cinemascope format and bright colors to create a dreamy atmosphere.

Music is very present in the film, not only through the omnipresent radio but also in rap classes. What’s the relevance of music in both creating the emotions and informing on the roots of the main character?

It was another way to talk about pride. Joe is a queer arab main character, who is owning is desire for men. He doesnt have a problem with it, nor does William. I’m half tunisian and wanted to expand the boundaries we often see in film, regarding arab characters. They are systematically trapped in self-hate, or exoticized. Bachar Mar Khalifé’s music is there to create a sense of power and pride around the character. 

How important was it for you to avoid violence in exploring love and desire between two teenagers in a juvenile detention center?

 For me, storytelling in films around queer love have often been about violence. For me it was political in a way to normalize tolerance, to make it possible, and to show that a group of boys can actually accept a queer love, and  react with support. Being locked up in a detention center creates a sense of family of marginals, a bond that is deeper than their outer differences. They have the same enemy, which is the institution, they suffer from the same lack of love, the same lack of human tenderness. When Joe and William love each other in the middle of this prison, their tenderness irradiates everyone else, and inspire freedom to all. 

What has been the influence of Jean Genet’s short movie Un chant d’amour in the film?

 Jean Genet’s work is a major inspiration for this film. His books and the film have given me strength in daring to propose a flamboyant and anti-authoritarian love story. The character’s love travels through the thick wall, and their desire burn them to their core. It’s a movie from the 50´s, was very avant-garde at the time, and is a masterpiece in editing and cinematography. 

You visited some juvenile detention centers, places that actually are very closed and very invisible, and talk with people to do research on the theme. Was there an urge to show and depict such hidden reality?

I would say there was a necessity. My cousin was placed there, and I never had the chance to visit him. These places were haunting me, and I wanted to give them a face, a voice. I discovered so many things there, far from the clichés we often see, or hear. I found a place where the educators give themselves a 100% for the kids, but are stopped in their work by a system that doesnt work anymore. Being locked up in the countryside, cut from their close ones, cut from everything, is not a good way to reintegrate society. Different places in the world have stopped to use these facilities and have re-think this system, keeping the kids connected to a social net.

The film depends in the preparation of these teens to reintegrate in society. Do you think of the attitude toward youth rehabilitation positively different from reinsertion of adults?

 They are definitely more followed by educators, teachers, psychologists than prisoners in adult prisons. They are in the same time more watched, every minute of everyday. Reinsertion numbers are not good. The system fails. 

How much have your studies on cinematography to do with the lyricism of the image in your film, stepped away from the codes of the social film?
With my DOP Olivier Boonjing, we wanted to use the codes of a love story. It was important to portray the passion, in a passionate way. We had a very good communication about where we were going. We used anamorphic lenses, a cinemascope format and bright colors to create a dreamy atmosphere. 

Music is very present in the film, not only through the omnipresent radio but also in rap classes. What’s the relevance of music in both creating the emotions and informing on the roots of the main character

It was another way to talk about pride. Joe is a queer arab main character, who is owning is desire for men. He doesnt have a problem with it, nor does William. I’m half tunisian and wanted to expand the boundaries we often see in film, regarding arab characters. They are systematically trapped in self-hate, or exoticized. Bachar Mar Khalifé’s music is there to create a sense of power and pride around the character.