Love Me Tender
A painfully honest drama about a woman (Vicky Krieps) who – after telling her ex-husband that she has relationships with women – becomes embroiled in a long legal battle over custody of her son.
When Clémence begins having affairs with women, her ex-husband ensures she is no longer allowed to have contact with their eight-year-old son Paul. Eventually, she is allowed to see him occasionally, but only under the watchful eye of two child welfare workers.
Clémence is, in effect, caught between two worlds: she fights for her son within a rigid bureaucratic system, which increasingly alienates her from him, yet at the same time she tries to live her own life with uninhibited confidence and energy. She has one-night stands and goes out to gay clubs – resulting in exciting scenes of debauchery, supported by a powerful electronic soundtrack.
Love Me Tender was selected for the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes and nominated for the Queer Palm. Lead actress Vicky Krieps won the European Film Award for Best Actress. (bw)