Pompei ( 2019 )

Left devastated by his father's desertion, Victor (Aliocha Schneider) cares for his little brother Jimmy while scraping by through the theft of artifacts from nearby archaeological sites under the watchful eye of Toxou (Vincent Rottiers), a self-appointed leader, and flanked by other vagrant children in an environment devoid of care, intimacy, and providence--and with strange, strictly-imposed rules. The arrival of Billie (Garance Marillier) awakens Victor, but her unbridled romanticism threatens his community of lost misfits. As tensions rise, Victor must choose between loyalty and love. Meanwhile, Jimmy eagerly awaits his 13th birthday, which is to be marked by a barbaric coming-of-age ritual all the youth must undertake. Moments pass; an hourglass is turned over; time is running out.—Toronto International Film Festival