JUMBO
A young woman struggling to make social connections finds hope, and possibly love, in the form of a 70-foot thrill ride named Jumbo in this French psychological drama.
Amusement park rides are known to excite with vibrant neon lights and enticing shrieks as they beckon those who seek daring brushes with danger, but rarely does one ignite a fiery, sensual romance in its riders. Yet a young, emotionally-stunted fair custodian, Jeanne (Noémie Merlant, PFF28’s PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE), finds solace, and possibly passion, with the arrival of her work’s thrilling new ride, Jumbo. Facing a dull summer filled with biting remarks from her nagging mother (Emmanuelle Bercot) and night shifts cleaning up stale popcorn, Jeanne struggles to connect with others and has all but alienated herself from the world. All that slips away when the mighty Jumbo comes alive one night, pulsating with an alluring, hypnotic timbre, making Jeanne’s knees quake. As her relationship deepens with the steel beast, her trysts are threatened to be discovered, which could destroy the very framework of her reality. Finding compassion in such an odd premise, debut filmmaker Zoé Wittock and Merlant deliver a rare drama that challenges norms while exploring a complicated individual on the emotional roller coaster of a lifetime.
CAST: Noémie Merlant, Emmanuelle Bercot, Sam Louwyck, Bastien Bouillon
In Competition: First Feature Award
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