Entertainment
Cédric Kahn premieres adolescent psychiatric drama 'A Place to Heal' in Venice competition
The French director and actor immersed himself in psychiatric wards to craft a film highlighting youth resilience and public healthcare.
The short version
- Director Cédric Kahn debuted his new feature, 'A Place to Heal,' in main competition at the Venice Film Festival.
- The drama focuses on an adolescent psychiatric ward and was developed following months of direct observation in French psychiatric facilities by Kahn and co-writer Kahina Le Querrec.
- Kahn stars as the lead psychiatrist alongside an ensemble cast primarily made up of teenage newcomers.
- The film examines the pressures facing France's public hospital system while competing for Venice's top awards.
Key facts
- Cédric Kahn's film 'A Place to Heal' held its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.[Variety]
- The script was co-written with Kahina Le Querrec, who spent six months observing in a psychiatric unit, while Kahn conducted several weeks of observation in another.[Variety]
- The film's ensemble features 12 teenage patients chosen after auditioning more than 1,000 young people, with most roles played by screen newcomers.[Variety]
- Kahn plays Etienne, the chief psychiatrist of the ward, marking only the second time he has taken a major acting role in one of his own directed films.[Variety]
- Kahn also appears at the same festival out of competition in Alexandre Smia's debut feature, 'Jupiter.'[Variety]