Étienne is a cute teenager at high school in his native Rouen, played by the very talented Jimmy Tavares in his film debut role. When he is given a video camera, his whole life changes as he becomes obsessed with recording every detail of his life and those around him. At first it feels like any random encounter with a camera but builds up into a compelling video diary. We gradually become aware of the many different strands of his life as we meet the key players: his mother (a wonderful performance by Ariane Ascaride) and his best friend at school, Ludo. Things seem all very normal until we find that he's stalking his male geography teacher. His pursuits are always very solitary and he spends a huge amount of time spying on various other people. Ice skating also takes up a lot of his energies as he prepares for a big competition.

It all adds up to a subtle, affecting, and refreshing portrait of the torments of youth, revealing the realities of life for an adolescent in a French provincial capital. There are some things of which Étienne seems unaware, but his filming has its own inner narrative. In an intense discussion with his best friend, he asks, "Can two men love each other?" By the end of the film, he is on his wayto finding an answer. A life­ enhancing story from the directors of The Adventures of Félix and Jeanne and the Perfect Guy with brilliantly natural performances throughout.