Eleven-year-old Camille and her fifteen-year-old brother, Tuur, bump into two Dutch girls while exploring their sun-drenched camping spot. Camille’s shy little brother immediately attracts the attention of the intimidating female duo. Tuur reacts relatively indifferently, but his sister is visibly struggling. Her “soulmate” is snatched away for her, and she can’t help feeling jealous. What should have been a carefree holiday evolves into a trip they won’t soon forget. 

Being on the verge of young adolescence is often unpleasant. Familiar situations from childhood take on other dimensions, and insecurities intensify. Provence tells the story of that specific breaking point that one particular summer, the last one Camille and Tuur will experience as kids. 

The story unfolds through cleverly concocted scenes in which the young actors Laime De Paep and Pelle Adriaenssens deliver convincing performances with striking authenticity in dialogue. Even the nonverbal communication bears witness to meticulous actor direction: the meaningful glances between brother and sister betray a larger world of feelings. De Boeck focuses firmly on her young main characters; adults are pushed into the background or out of the frame. 

Meanwhile, we can imagine ourselves in the South of France, toes dipped in the water—courtesy of the consistently eye-catching photography of Esmoreit Lutters, another talent on the rise. The overall colour palette creates the sultry atmosphere of this beautiful coming-of-age film, which showcases young filmmaker Kato De Boeck’s talent as a director.