Laurent dans le vent is a French feature film directed by Anton Balekdjian, Léo Couture, and Mattéo Eustachon. It was showcased at the Acid section during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. This is the filmmakers’ second feature, which hit French theaters on December 31, 2025. The film stars Baptiste Perusat, alongside Béatrice Dalle, Djanis Bouzyani, and Suzanne de Baecque.
Laurent is 29 and currently navigating a period of limbo. unemployed and homeless, he stumbles almost by chance into a deserted ski resort in the Hautes-Alpes during the off-season. Isolated in this setting, suspended between two realities, he begins to infiltrate the quiet lives of the few remaining residents still calling it home.
Throughout his encounters, Laurent struggles to find his footing, caught between clumsy moments, a desire to belong, and a need to reinvent himself. But as winter draws near and tourists flood in, the fragile balance he's managed to establish begins to crack. Trapped in a space suddenly teeming with people, Laurent finds himself unable to leave.
Throughout this journey, the film offers a nuanced portrait of youth searching for direction, caught between a sense of stagnation and the quiet violence of the environments they navigate.
Laurent dans le vent is the second feature film co-directed by Anton Balekdjian, Léo Couture, and Mattéo Eustachon, following their debut Mourir à Ibiza (un film en trois étés), which hit theaters in 2022. Graduates of Cinéfabrique in 2020, the trio continues to develop their collaborative approach, blending shared writing with a direct, immersive style of filmmaking that keeps the realism front and center.
The film is based on a true story, about a man who spent nearly a year alone in a remote ski resort during the off-season. The filmmakers conducted extensive scouting and numerous on-site encounters, shaping the script through a continuous process of writing and immersing themselves in the setting. Shooting took place over 33 days in the Hautes-Alpes and in Lyon, with a deliberately small crew.
True to the spirit of the Acid movement, the film blends professional actors with non-professionals, all of whom are local residents of the filming areas. This approach grounds the story in a documentary feel and provides an intimate look at the community dynamics, avoiding stereotypes or condescension.
Laurent in the Wind
Film | 2025
Release in theaters: December 31, 2025
Drama comedy | Runtime: 1h50
Directed by Anton Balekdjian, Léo Couture, Mattéo Eustachon | Starring Baptiste Perusat, Béatrice Dalle, Djanis Bouzyani
Original title: Laurent in the Wind
Country: France
Shown at Cannes as part of the Acid lineup and later at the American French Film Festival in Los Angeles, Laurent dans le vent is a work of independent cinema that delves into marginalized stories, bodies, and landscapes. A contemplative film capturing a moment of transition and stagnation, where the scenery mirrors an inner emotional landscape.
To keep the movie magic alive after the theater, check out the December film releases, discover the must-see movies of the moment, and browse our top picks of the best dramatic comedies of the year.
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