A French Youth

Not far from France’s famed bullfighting arenas are stadiums along the Mediterranean coast where young men are pitted against fierce bulls in the traditional sport of the Camargue race. Rather than harm the beasts, these men elude being trampled through sheer athleticism while attempting to grab a ribbon from between the bulls’ horns before another competitor does. It’s not a sport for the faint of heart, and young North African immigrants risk everything to take their place in the ring and gain a foothold in French society. The stakes are very real for Jawad, who must overcome a serious injury to compete again, and for Belka, who is following in his father’s footsteps and seeking his own path to glory. Director Jérémie Battaglia immerses us in the rituals and routines of this little-known tradition that is both poetic and heart-stopping, drawing subtle parallels between the challenges of fighting for survival in the ring and overcoming racism outside it.