JESSICA FOREVER a film by Caroline Poggi & Jonathan Vinel

A blonde-haired boy crashes through the glazed wall of a suburban house and falls to the floor, unconscious. A militia of young men carries him away. They are led by a young woman, a blue-eyed, futuristic Jeanne d’Arc. They exit just as a swarm of threatening drones invades the room. A voice-over informs us that the state has deemed these boys to be violent orphans and social outcasts and the authorities are now hunting them down. What follows is a quiet but emotional story of brotherhood, angst, mutual protection, violent impulses and infinite tenderness amongst a band of hyper-masculine warriors living under the protective wing of the caring Jessica.
True to the themes of their short films, and featuring the young tribe that populates their previous works, Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel’s first feature combines a minimalistic plot, fantasy elements and hyper-realistic cinematography to create a lifelike version of a video game environment, in which alienation and isolation can only be conquered by affection. Friends forever. Love forever.

here are some of the good reviews received during Berlin and shared by MK2

“Phenomenally seductive.”
Film Comment

“Beautifully shot.
A wild genre-bender with visual magic.”
The Hollywood Reporter

“Radical and poetic, JESSICA FOREVER confirms the outstanding talent of its directors.”
Libération

“A feminist subversion of typical savior narratives.
There’s poise and flair in the film’s overall stripped-back nature,
echoed in its aesthetic touches as well. A high-concept panache.”
Screen

“Long-awaited. One of the best movies of this year’s Berlinale.”
Les Inrocks

“Beautiful cinematography.
A journey of both violence and beauty (…) making us contemplate the meaning of family
and ultimately the importance of love.”
The Upcoming

“It’s audacity makes it a potentially cult title.”
Cineuropa

"Think the stylised pop nihilism of a director like Gregg Araki
channelled through action-adventure video games and star-crossed love poems
and you might have an idea of what to expect from JESSICA FOREVER."
AnOther

“An oddly quiet strain of surrealism that takes hold of the imagery to share metaphor, give pain physical form, and unleash dark premonitions of impending carnage. These transitions from reality to hallucination are absolutely heartbreaking.”
The Film Stage