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The Elements+10 jurors in the Sala Sordi got to watch the film in competition THE LULUS directed by director Yann Samuell.
The Elements+10 jurors in the Sala Sordi got to watch the film in competition THE LULUS directed by director Yann Samuell. Set in the north of France, in August 1914, four boys are left to their own devices after being evacuated from their orphanage. The term Lulus comes from the initials of their names: Lucien, Lucas, Luigi and Ludwig. Stranded, due to the absence of an adult figure who can protect them, the Lulus find themselves stuck behind the enemy front line. In this adventure, which could end in tragedy at any moment, they are joined by Luce, a girl separated from her parents. Together, to avoid staying there, they decide to head for neutral Switzerland, by whatever means necessary.
While for them it seems clear what to do, what isn’t is how to put the idea into practice, logistically speaking. For them it will be much more of an adventure, as they had originally imagined. What they will not be prepared for, however, turns out to be the group of enemies, who instead will support them in getting safely to Switzerland. Among the group that helps the Lulus, there is Hans, the kind-hearted German deserter, Louison, known as the village witch, Gaston, the clog maker with a harsh character and finally, Moussa, a Senegalese rifleman.
Director Yann Samuell portrayed a story on the big screen that is partly based on the film The Night of the Hunter by Charles Laughton. A very touching anecdote, shared by the filmmaker while he was working on the screenplay for this feature film, involves the finding of a photo. The snap showed a child sleeping on a tank during the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, and sure enough, that child was his father, who had also recently passed away. The strongest feature that emerges from this film is the paradox that arises as the story progresses. A group of orphans, who have had everything taken away from them, such as their parents’ affection and material possessions, are forced to grow up earlier than expected, in order to earn a life that can make them into young women and young men, like so many others. In a war fought with bombs and bullets, no one emerges the winner. In this film, however, it is The Lulus who emerge as little heroes, fighting for their future, through and through.