AFI Fest Review: ‘Langue Étrangère’ is a Poignant Story with Two Breakout Performances

Speaking the same language is an important component of any relationship. Yet, for so many people, business requiring the use of an interpreter or a personal connection may arise between two individuals who come from different places and therefore grew up with different native languages. It’s not always possible to say exactly what you mean in another tongue without complete fluency, but some bonds transcend words and can be established without them. Claire Burger’s Langue Étrangère powerfully portrays one such connection from its unlikely conception.

Fanny (Lilith Grasmug) is having a rough time at school in France, facing constant bullying, and a long-term visit to the home of her pen pal Lena (Josefa Heinsius) in nearby Germany feels like it might be just what she needs to start over. But despite a warm welcome from Lena’s mother Susanne (Nina Hoss), Lena initially seems quite hostile to her new roommate. As time goes on, the two develop an extraordinary close bond that unveils new layers when Lena travels to France to see Fanny in her home environment, which includes her overbearing mother Antonia (Chiara Mastroianni) and frequently traveling father Anthar (Jalal Altawil).

In her latest film, Burger features two phenomenal performances from Grasmug, in one of her first major film roles, and Heinsius in her screen debut. The two are expertly cast, with Grasmug portraying Fanny as someone shy and soft-spoken who still allows herself to feel quite comfortable in new surroundings and Heinsius playing Lena as cool and confident up until the moment that someone tries to mess with her. Seeing them in their respective school settings is also enlightening, particularly when Fanny’s tormentors choose to target Lena with a Nazi salute, instantly undoing whatever progressive and cooperative education has been fostered in the years since World War II in the region.

In her script with Léa Mysius, Burger also offers plenty of depth to both of these characters and the female role models most present in their lives. Both Susanne and Antonia try hard to relate to their daughters but face their own issues, about which Lena and Fanny are all too well aware. There are also hidden histories that both girls choose not to share with each other and only emerge much later to create potential cracks in seemingly unbreakable bonds. The Arab identity of Fanny’s father contributes to her feeling out of place, while Lena enjoys baiting her mother’s ex, who she isn’t completely over, for the right-wing ideology he’s previously espoused.

Following its opening scene, Langue Étrangère launches into a strong, stylized beat by composer Rebeka Warrior that sets a tone for the rest of the film. One prominent subplot has Fanny obsessing over finding the half-sister she once met before her mother cut off all contact, going from neighborhood to neighborhood with posters seeking any information. Her apparent involvement in Antifa only makes her more appealing to both girls, who are eager to join countercultural protests, if only to oppose the status quo and not in recognition of their unspoken same-sex attraction that might be eventually targeted by those they vilify.

As a coming-of-age story with two protagonists, this film doesn’t feel in any way resolved, since it represents just a snapshot of their lives long before they’ve truly discovered who they are. Yet what it does show is fully captivating thanks to a purposeful and poignant gaze from Burger and the strength of its two leads. Hoss and Mastroianni also contribute meaningfully to their supporting parts, giving important context for who their daughters are. This film, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and has since been released theatrically in France and Germany, has plenty to say about culture and its influence on youth, offering many universal lessons embedded within its singular and involving story.

Movie Rating: 8/10

Awards Buzz: This film will have to settle for its festival prize nominations since it has no planned United States release, but it’s also a French-German film that, well-received as it may be, won’t attract the attention of English-speaking voters without big names involved.