Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Directed by award winning director/screenwriter Olivier Assayas, (Summer Hours, Carlos) Something in the Air competed for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival 2012 and won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay. Something in the Air (starring Clément Metáyer) is a film about youth, compromise, and choice. Set in 1971, moving through France and Italy to a rollicking soundtrack, the film follows a group of French students during a period of youth revolt.  Dealing with French students’ political struggles of the time and their hopes to effect change through revolution, Something in the Air is beautifully constructed, intensely personal film and very highly recommended.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Although the characters run from political rallies to protests to political vandalism, this movie is not about politics, but about the politics of choice. Can you still be a political revolutionary and keep a 9 to 5 job? Can you keep a dream alive and pay bills at the same time? And how do you keep that revolutionary spark alive?

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Though the characters are not really fleshed out beyond “wants to be a painter” or “dancer,” it’s the journey that matters. We see people forced to compromise their morals and beliefs in the face of reality. We see people and ideologies fall by the wayside, obsolete. And in the end, we see someone who learns how to balance their dreams and the demands of reality.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

In this modern era of slacktivism, it’s refreshing to see a movie acknowledge and question the methods and ideology of youth protests, showing both the successes and failures experienced.

In French and Italian, with English subtitles, distributed by Mongrel Media. Official selection at the following Film Festivals: Sundance, TIFF, NYFF, San Francisco, AFI.

Donal O’connor