Charlène Favier: Last News

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentLes Arcs Film Festival’s Industry Village, one of the many events that switched to virtual due to the pandemic, has unveiled its award-winning projects, which include Delphine Girard’s “Most Alive,” Damien Manivel’s “Magdala” and Sabine Ehrl’s “Paradise Bleeding.”The event has a stellar track record when it comes to unveiling projects that go on to premiere at prestigious festivals and win awards. Recent alumni include Alex Camilleri’s Malta-set movie “Luzzu,” which will compete at this year’s Sundance, as well as Charlene Favier’s “Slalom,” which was part of Cannes 2020’s Official Selection, and just won the Lumieres Award in France for best female newcomer award (for Noée Abita).

For a debut feature, writer-director Charlène Favier’s powerful coming-of-age sports drama Slalom couldn't come at a more timely moment. Beautifully directed and performed, it tells the story of a prodigious 15-year-old skier drawn into an exploitative sexual relationship with her older male coach, evoking several scandals that have made headlines in recent years — most notably the USA Gymnastics debacle that broke in 2016, but also French cases in the worlds of figure skating, tennis and swimming.