92 minutes / Color
English subtitles
Release: 2018
Copyright: 2017
THE FRESHMEN, the fourth feature by Thomas Lilti, a filmmaker who proved his worth with HIPPOCRATES, DIARY OF A FRENCH DOCTOR (a surprise hit in Cannes in 2014) and THE COUNTRY DOCTOR is once again showing off his knack for crafting popular works that focus on intelligent societal comedies in the medical field. This time, he is focusing on the fierce competition of the first year of medical school.
THE FRESHMEN follows Antoine (playing by rising star in French cinema Vincent Lacoste), who is about to start his first year of medical school… for the third time. Meanwhile, Benjamin, fresh out of high school, will have his first stab at it. He soon realizes that it’s not exactly a walk in the park. With nights dedicated to hard studying, rather than hard partying, the two freshers will have to adapt and find a middle ground between despair for the present and hope for the future.
“Lacoste and Lebghil have low-key but always believable chemistry.” —Hollywood Reporter
“Thomas Lilti delivers a very nice, simple and spirited film that is both entertaining and analytical in its own right, by tapping into a beautiful story of friendship. A way of encouraging discourse around the crucial topic of “putting society at the service of schools rather than the other way around.” —Cineuropa
Select Accolades
When a countryside doctor finds out that he suffers from a serious illness, he is left with no choice but to find a replacement.
Thomas Lilti | 2017 | 102 minutes | Color | English; French | English subtitles
A darkly comic portrait of a Paris hospital as seen through the eyes of a young intern.
Thomas Lilti | 2015 | 101 minutes | Color | French | English subtitles
An old man lets a student live in his apartment for free in exchange for ruining his son's marriage.
Ivan Calbérac | 2022 | 99 minutes | Color | French | English subtitles
