Young Hearts

Anthony
Schatteman

Anthony Schatteman (1989) graduated from the KASK School of Arts in Ghent after which he obtained an additional master's degree in Film Studies and Visual Culture at the University of Antwerp. The world of young people and their relationships with the people around them form a common thread in his work, characterised by burgeoning sexuality. Anthony portrays universal characters that everyone can identify with, in a stylised way, with little dialogue and attention to emotions that are difficult to express. His first short film Kiss me Softly was a true festival favourite, winning awards at international film festivals worldwide. Three more short films followed: Follow me, Petit Ami and Hello, Stranger. In 2020, he directed Alive, a series for Belgian broadcaster VRT starring Joke Emmers and Michäel Pas in a production of Polar Bear. The youth series Panna was released in 2021, airing on Goplay.be for SBS Belgium. The series follows four young girls who follow their dream to become football players in the streets of Antwerp. l'Homme Inconnu, is his latest short and was shot on s16mm in Cavalaire-Sur- Mer. It had its premiere at Film Fest Ghent in Belgium in 2021. This was followed by the series 2de Zit for the Belgian streaming platform Streamz and most recently, he directed the Irish series Northern Lights for Lionsgate. His debut film Young Hearts, also produced by Polar Bear, will premiere at the Berlinale Generation Kplus.

Fourteen-year-old Elias leads a peaceful life as a typical teenage boy with somewhat normal parents and great friends. He even has a best friend, but she may feel something more for him. However, Elias's young heart races when Alexander moves into the neighborhood. After just a few days, Alexander confesses to him that he's into boys. From that moment on, Elias experiences a storm of emotions, and despite his efforts to deny the budding love for Alexander outwardly and inwardly, it's to no avail. Instead, he gets entangled in increasingly elaborate lies. In the end, he is left alone with the question of how not to lose Alexander's affection and his best friend's friendship. As his grandfather's past story suggests, love is singular and too rare to let slip away. This Belgian debut, with autobiographical elements, is a sweet romance about first love and the challenges of navigating emotions and social codes.