Set in the late 1980s, the film follows a group of young actors who enter into Les Amandiers, the prestigious acting school founded by Patrice Chéreau and Pierre Romans.[3] Over the course of a few months, these young people form new friendships, discover the realities of love and come of age, all set to the backdrop of a changing culture.[4]
In November 2022, the newspaper Le Parisien reported that Sofiane Bennacer, the male star of the film, had been indicted in October for sexual and physical abuse against multiple women.[6] In response, the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma chose to remove Bennacer from their annual Revelations List,[7] and multiple cinemas cancelled their screenings of the film.[8][9] The women also denounced the director Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, alleging that she had created an atmosphere of omertà on the set of the film. Bruni Tedeschi admitted to being aware of the rumors surrounding Bennacer, but decided to give him the part anyway.[10][11][12][13]
Bennacer denied the allegations of abuse, posting a message on his Instagram account: "Does the presumption of innocence still exist? Or are we in a state of lawlessness, a state where a simple baseless accusation can destroy someone's life?" Bruni Tedeschi, who at the time was Bennacer's partner, denounced the allegations as a "media lynching."[14]Carla Bruni, the younger sister of Bruni Tedeschi, also denounced the allegations on the grounds of "presumption of innocence."[15]
