ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Lukas Dhont's 'Close' Explores Friendship Under Homophobic Pressure

other · 2026-05-13

Lukas Dhont's coming-of-age drama 'Close' follows the intense friendship between two 13-year-old boys, Léo (Eden Dambrine) and Rémy (Gustav de Waele), which unravels when they enter middle school and face homophobic taunts from classmates. The film, which won the Grand Prix at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, airs on Arte on May 13 and is available in the Arte Mediathek until June 11.

Key facts

  • Film 'Close' directed by Lukas Dhont
  • Stars Eden Dambrine as Léo and Gustav de Waele as Rémy
  • Won Grand Prix at 2022 Cannes Film Festival
  • Airs on Arte on May 13
  • Available in Arte Mediathek until June 11
  • Story follows two 13-year-old boys whose friendship is strained by homophobic bullying at school

Entities

Artists

  • Lukas Dhont
  • Eden Dambrine
  • Gustav de Waele

Institutions

  • Arte
  • Cannes Film Festival

Locations

  • Cannes
  • France

Sources