Is Sauvage a portrait of a young man in freefall? Or is it an exploration of a tormented soul desperately seeking love? Videl-Naquet ultimately leaves that for you to answer.
Camille Vidal-Naquet’s debut feature is tough, uncompromising, and at times deeply uncomfortable as he explores the world of street hustlers through a series of conversations on sexuality, social isolation, and power. Following a young Leo (Félix Maritaud) as he works the streets of Strasbourg, Vidal-Naquet is not only interested in the physical and emotional toll of prostitution but also its place in our modern world of instant gratification.
Before filming Sauvage, Vidal-Naquet volunteered for many years with a series of charities supporting male sex workers. Here, he would engage in daily conversations with the boys and men who sold their bodies on the streets of France. As a result, Sauvage carries an almost documentary-like realism, as the handheld camera follows Leo through a city that is either unable or unwilling to see the world through his eyes.
Leo’s emotional needs are reliant on his peer group, each of whom is struggling with their own inner turmoil. This is a life where drugs are an escape route as weeks and days merge into one. Sauvage may show male prostitution in all its grim reality, but it also isn’t afraid to reflect moments of tenderness as Leo offers a much-needed escape for his clients. Is Sauvage a portrait of a young man in freefall? Or is it an exploration of a tormented soul desperately seeking love? Videl-Naquet ultimately leaves that for you to answer.
Follow Us