Festivals - Cannes 2025 : Summer Beats Captivates Audiences with a Tender Exploration of Youth and Friendship

By Mulder, Cannes, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes, 22 may 2025

Bathed in the golden Mediterranean light that spills over the iconic steps of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the 2025 Cannes Film Festival once again served as a beacon for bold, emotionally resonant cinema. Among the standout selections that touched audiences deeply was Summer Beats (Ma frère), the latest offering from French directing duo Lise Akoka and Romane Guéret. Premiering in the prestigious Cannes Première section, the film marks a poignant and mature return for the filmmakers following the critical success of their 2022 feature Les Pires, which earned the Un Certain Regard Prize and announced them as rising voices in French cinema. With Summer Beats, they reaffirm their talent by delivering a beautifully intimate, character-driven story that explores the fragile bonds of youth, identity, and belonging.

Set against the natural splendor of the Drôme region in southeastern France, the film traces the emotional journey of two inseparable childhood friends, Shaï and Djeneba, now 19 and on the cusp of adulthood. Brought vividly to life by Shirel Nataf and Fanta Kebe—whose chemistry on screen is both magnetic and heartbreakingly real—the characters find themselves navigating the responsibilities and self-reflection that come with working as counselors at a summer camp. The pair, having grown up in the diverse and working-class neighborhood of Place des Fêtes in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, now find themselves in unfamiliar terrain—geographically and emotionally. As they care for a group of children who mirror their own backgrounds, Shaï and Djeneba are forced to confront the tension between their shared past and the uncertain shape of their individual futures. The film doesn’t rely on melodrama; instead, it embraces a quiet realism that allows the audience to feel every unspoken word and vulnerable moment between them.

The roots of Summer Beats can be traced to Akoka and Guéret’s earlier work on the web series Tu préfères?, which originally introduced these characters in a smaller, serialized format. While the web series hinted at deeper emotional veins, the filmmakers soon realized that the limited structure could not fully explore the complexities of Shaï and Djeneba’s evolving relationship. By transitioning to a feature film, Akoka and Guéret gave themselves—and their cast—the space to breathe, to unfold the story with patience and nuance. The result is a film that feels organically grown rather than constructed, one that invites its audience into the world of its characters with a sincerity that is increasingly rare.

What truly sets Summer Beats apart is its unflinching commitment to authenticity. Drawing upon their respective backgrounds in psychology and casting, Akoka and Guéret create an environment where performances emerge not from rehearsed artifice but from genuine emotional connection. Their ability to work with young talent and draw out subtle, deeply human portrayals is evident in every scene. Nataf and Kebe deliver career-defining performances that carry both the weight of lived experience and the lightness of youth. Visually, the film is luminous. The cinematography captures the gentle rhythms of summer in the French countryside—sun-dappled fields, quiet lakes, and moments of stillness that contrast beautifully with the storm of emotions within the characters. Each frame is composed not just with technical care, but with emotional insight, reinforcing the film’s central themes without ever being heavy-handed.

From its first screening, Summer Beats struck a chord with audiences and critics alike, many of whom praised its tender storytelling, emotional depth, and compelling lead performances. The universal themes it explores—friendship under strain, the longing for personal transformation, and the bittersweet nature of letting go—resonate far beyond the French context, making the film a deeply relatable and moving experience regardless of background or geography. Its selection in the Cannes Première category speaks to the festival’s ongoing commitment to spotlighting films that may fall outside the main competition but still embody artistic excellence and emotional resonance. Summer Beats is precisely that kind of film: quiet yet powerful, modest in scope yet expansive in feeling.

As Summer Beats gears up for its wider theatrical release, it stands as a luminous example of the continued artistic growth of Akoka and Guéret. Their singular ability to tell stories that are emotionally grounded, socially relevant, and cinematically rich has cemented them as key voices in contemporary French filmmaking. With Summer Beats, they not only further define their aesthetic and thematic sensibilities but also give us a film that lingers—one that captures the delicate, often fleeting nature of friendship as it transitions into adulthood. It's a film that doesn't shout its importance but earns it through honesty, warmth, and emotional resonance. Whether you’re a longtime follower of their work or new to their filmmaking, Summer Beats is a journey worth taking.

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Synopsis : 
Shaï and Djeneba are 20 years old and have been friends since childhood. That summer, they are working as counselors at a summer camp. They accompany a group of children in the Drôme region who, like them, grew up among the tower blocks of the Place des Fêtes in Paris. On the cusp of adulthood, they will have to make choices about their future and reinvent their friendship.

Summer beats (Ma frère)
Directed by Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret
Produced by Jean Dathanat, Pierre Grimaux
Written by Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret, Catherine Paillé
Starring  Shirel Nataf, Fanta Kebe, Zakaria-Tayeb Lazab, Mouctar Diawara, Idir Azougli, Amel Bent, Yuming Hey      
Production companies : Superstructure, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, France 3 Cinéma
Distributed by StudioCanal (France)
Release date : January 7, 2025 (France)
Running time : 112 minutes

Photos : @fannyrlphotography