Inspired by a true story set in 1987, Martin and Simon, two brothers abandoned by their mother, are known for their incessant acts of vandalism. Martin escapes from reform school, Simon runs away from his foster families, but they always end up in the coastal town, where their destructive behavior is the talk of the town. Their trouble may well go back to their mother's abandonment. Martin, dreamy and poetic, aspires to become "the son of a shark" and treasures a goldfish book given to him by his mother. Despite his clumsiness and unpredictability, he tries to seduce neighbor Marie. Simon, darker and more unpredictable, carries a pocket knife and seems to represent a greater danger to those around him. As they oscillate between childhood and adulthood, their future seems uncertain.
A Franco-Belgian and Luxembourg co-production by Compagnie des Images (France), Gaumont, France 3 Cinéma, Premiere Heure (France), Saga Film (Belgium), RTL-TVI and In Visible Films (France), with support from the Council of Europe's Eurimages Fund. With the participation of Sofica Investimage 4, Canal+, Centre National de la Cinématographie, Ministère de la Culture et des Affaires Sociales de la Communauté Française de Belgique. With the support of PROCIREP, Sitis, Fondation Gan pour le Cinéma, Caisse Générale d'Epargne et de Retraite (CGER).
Directed by Agnès Merlet
Performance: Ludovic Vandendaele, Eric da Silva, Sandrine Blancke
Screenplay: Agnès Merlet, Santiago Amigorena
Music: Bruno Coulais
Producer(s) : François Fries
Production manager(s) : Ginette Mejinsky
Line producer(s) : Hubert Toint, Patrice Haddad
Live sound: Henri Morelle, Jean-Pierre Laforce
Image editing: Guy Lecorne, Pierre Choukroun
Venice Festival, 1993: International Critics' Award
Festival de Belfort, 1993: Grand prix du public
Sarlat Film Festival, 1994: Grand Prix
Rencontres franco-américaines d'Avignon, 1994: Grand Prix
Troya Festival, 1994: Grand Prix
Joseph Plateau Award 1993-1994 for Best Belgian Actress for Sandrine Blancke
Felix, 1994:Young European Film of the Year
Nominated for a César for Best First Feature 1994
