Ari

Ari, a 27-year-old student teacher, collapses in the middle of a school inspector’s visit. As he reaches out to friends in a quest for recovery, he discovers that other people aren’t doing as well as he imagined and that perhaps he has been sleepwalking through his own life.

Leonor Serraille’s gem on the search for meaning of Generation Z premiered in the Berlinale competition, where it moved to the core those among us who are wrestling with the question of what it means “to be happy”.

Serraille’s subtle character study raises a number of fundamental questions that resonate within us, loud and not so clear: what does hypersensitivity stem from? Is parenting at fault? Is it a superpower or a burden? If what Ari is going through is depression, can a way out of it involve reclaiming his vulnerability? Andranic Manet’s performance as Ari is remarkable and deeply touching.

This film is eligible for the Audentia Award.

This screening is supported by the French Embassy in Ireland.