Canadian actress Charlotte Le Bon makes her feature-length directorial debut in the melancholic coming-of-age film Falcon Lake. Billed as “a love and ghost story,” the film is loosely based on the 2017 graphic novel “Une Sœur (A Sister)” by French comic book artist Bastien Vivès. While not a direct adaptation, Falcon Lake emphasizes the book’s theme of an adolescent’s awakened desire, both in an emotional and physical sense, and creates a swirling portrait of young adulthood in its earliest stages.

Falcon Lake tells the story of Bastien (Joseph Engel), a shy teenager who spends his summer vacation at a lakehouse with his family and his parent’s close friends. Set against the glistening lake and pristine wilderness of the Quebec countryside, the beauty of Bastien’s surroundings is breathtaking, to say the least. However, like most boys his age, he is apathetic to the environment and would rather spend time on his Nintendo than in nature. It isn’t until Bastien meets Chloé (Sara Montpetit) – the daughter of his parent’s friends – that he starts coming out of his shell. She is a few years older than he – three to be exact – and also comes with a teenager’s attitude. When she’s tasked with watching Bastien and his younger brother while their parents rendevous at the cabin, she makes it obvious that she’d rather be doing anything else. But over time, she slowly softens up and welcomes him into her world.

Chloé has a dark sense of humor, which Bastien at first finds intimidating before becoming infatuated. Chloé ushers Bastien into young adulthood, from underage drinking at a local house party to dares that involve wading in the lake’s murky water which, legend has it, is occupied by a ghost. At the height of their time together, Bastien is so quietly in love with Chloé that he would follow her anywhere she wanted. However, the audience is quick to realize that these feelings are mostly one-sided and this summer romance is most likely to end in heartbreak.

Falcon Lake is not your traditional coming-of-age film. There’s a maturity here that offers a new perspective on how we view growing up and the innocence of childhood crushes. Charlotte Le Bon lenses an empathetic eye to this confusing period of life, making it easy to relate to both Bastien and Chloé. The film has an overall breezy feeling to it that delightfully makes it feel like a time capsule from the cinema of the 70s. Le Bon’s decision to shoot on 16mm film gives the visual aesthetic a home video quality that encapsulates the feeling of summer. Perhaps more pointedly, the delicate score arouses a slightly ominous tone. Composer Shida Shahabi uses a combination of classical and contemporary techniques to create a dreamy soundscape for the central characters to get lost in.

A Golden Camera nominee at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Falcon Lake is a wholehearted and impressive feature debut. Le Bon confidently captures the indescribable significance of transitioning from childhood innocence to young adulthood eloquently and naturally. It’s a bright and promising start for Le Bon and all involved.

Distributed by Yellow Veil Pictures. Now available on VOD.