Beautifully filmed in the Belgian countryside, Young Hearts is a refreshing tale of first love. In his feature debut, writer/director Anthony Schatteman (Kiss Me Softly, Frameline37) pulls off the impressive feat of offering something unique and profound for everyone: a much-needed salve for the folks whose first taste of queer love was riddled with trauma, a gentle mirror for the LGBTQ+ youth of today, and a sincere harbinger of hope to parents raising the next generation of queers.

Elias seems to be a pretty carefree kid in his pretty cute Belgian town. At 14, Elias (Lou Goossens in a breakthrough performance) is pretty carefree; he has a gang of friends at school, a kinda-sorta girlfriend he likes to hang out with (platonically), and fun parents. But when a cool new city boy, Alex, moves in next door, Elias finds his feelings of friendship going much deeper than he knows what to do with. Reminiscent of Lukas Dhont’s Oscar-nominated Close (though without its tragic element), Young Hearts is an emotionally perceptive and rewarding cinematic experience. For Elias, truly giving in to first love will have to start with accepting himself. His journey is a joy to watch.

After the film, join us for the Frameline48 First Friday Gala at Terra Gallery!