THE STORY – Lucia, 17, is brought by the police to the adolescent psychiatric ward in a public hospital, a place she knows all too well. Back inside, she reunites with her friend Eloïse, who is hospitalized long-term, and meets a new group of teenagers, each wrestling with their own struggles. Led by Etienne, the team of doctors treats, listens, and meets with families as they confront the raw realities of their patients’ lives, all while managing an overstretched department. Fragile bonds form between patients and caregivers, creating a delicate balance that offers glimpses of hope, recovery, and even laughter. But one day, the arrival of a mysterious new patient named Enzo threatens to turn everything upside down.
THE CAST – Zoé Monpart, Malou Khebizi, Kenji Peyran, Patience Munchenbach, Sophie Guillemin, Cédric Kahn, Antoine de Foucauld & Jennifer Decker
THE TEAM – Cédric Kahn (Director/Writer) & Kahina Le Querrec (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 105 Minutes
When troubled teenager Lucia (Malou Khebizi) bursts through the doors of a psychiatry unit designated for 15-to-18-year-olds, there’s a huge smile on her face. She can’t wait to reunite with all her friends and the professional staff members at the hospital, as if she’s heading back to an exciting summer camp. But the issues and realities that these youngsters face on a daily basis are nothing to smile about, as director/writer Cédric Kahn explores complex relationships and emotions in “15/18 (A Place to Heal).” The French filmmaker immerses viewers in the chaotic world of this mental institution, making us a fly on the wall in tense situations that no one should ever be privy to. Though the film lacks focus and doesn’t explore the complexities of these youngsters as well as it should, there are standout performances to be found around every corner.
This film isn’t just about one person’s story or their journey to healing. Rather, Kahn takes us on the whole tour of this unit by dropping us into various meetings and counseling sessions to meet each patient. There’s Lucia, who acts tough and standoffish on the outside, but is harboring deep wounds from years of sexual abuse, violence, and multiple suicide attempts. Her pal Eloïse (Zoé Monpart) has been hospitalized for several months, which is out of the ordinary, but there are secrets she’s hiding from the staff that make her recovery difficult. Others are suffering from schizophrenia and hallucinations, such as Ulysse (Raphaël Besson), who has frequent outbursts about an impending apocalypse, and Marvin (Daoud Gary), who had a terrifying episode at home that prompted his parents to place him in the unit. With so many fragile teens in one space, chaos can come at any moment, and oh boy does it. Disappointing phone calls with parents result in big, loud tantrums that staff have to diffuse, as well as overwhelming moments of euphoria that they all revel in together. Usually the only thing that can calm them down is the medication administration, which makes them all sleepy and loopy like the poppies that put Dorothy and her pals to sleep in “The Wizard of Oz.” Work from cinematographer Patrick Ghiringhelli and set designer Guillaume Deviercy, who place an emphasis on white walls and being confined in small spaces, also makes viewers feel like they’re part of the environment.
At the same time, the director spotlights many of the professional staff members working at this unit and their dynamics with patients. Many of them are quite dismissive about the youngsters’ neverending pleas for medication, claiming they want to end their lives, and though it’s unfortunate to admit this, their indifference will get you laughing a few times. Kahn himself plays Etienne, the hardass leader of the hospital who doesn’t let anything slide and is often not equipped to handle the sensitive matters of his patients, such as a young trans boy. This is heavily contrasted with a few of the other case workers and therapists, like newbie Jules (Antoine de Foucauld), who makes it very clear that he wants to make a difference in their lives. What is missing, more often than not, are the parents, which speaks volumes. Marvin is one of the lucky ones whose parents come to see him a number of times, but the others, like Lucia, Yasmine (Ahleme Sahraoui) – who has suffered abuse from her brother – and Zoran (Sami Assouanne) – who is grief-striken over his mother’s death – are begging for their loved ones to step up and show any ounce of interest in their recovery. There’s a deep sadness that one will feel in their heart when they see these kids, no matter how difficult they may be, yearning for their parents’ affection and attention. Frankly, the whole film could have been about those fraught relationships, which would have made this a stronger piece.
One storyline that eventually moves to the forefront is a love triangle between love-obsessed Lucia, Eloïse and new troublemaker Enzo (Kenji Peyran). It certainly allows these players, especially Khebizi, to play into big, dramatic moments, like when Lucia realizes that Enzo is much more into Eloïse’s quiet nature. But there’s a far more interesting story here that Kahn doesn’t give enough room to breathe. In the few moments that Eloïse gets to take center stage, she shares with a counselor a very heartbreaking and traumatic moment from when she was 12 years old. Monpart is captivating to look at and listen to in this moment, as she shyly recounts an incident at a party with tears streaming down her face. She easily gives the best performance in the film, but later is given so little screentime and dialogue. As she starts a relationship with Enzo, she’s quiet and reserved around him, which all ties back to her trauma. While there’s so much more to unpack with her, Kahn chooses to focus on the others and their outbursts instead. It’s a strange decision, especially considering the direction that the film eventually goes in with Eloïse and Enzo.
Ultimately, it’s not just her story that doesn’t get the development it needs. Ulysse comes across as a stock “wild” character who frequently yells, jumps up on tables, and runs around, but we never actually get a chance to understand what’s going on in his mind and how he ended up in the unit. What’s worse, when Kahn takes the film into its fiery third act and all hell truly breaks loose, there’s no resolution provided whatsoever, because that’s when he switches the focus onto Eloïse and Enzo. Are these kids going to be okay? Will they find the help that they desperately need? What happens to the hospital? There are genuinely no answers provided, and after we’ve spent so much time immersed in their world, it’s strange to pull back on all of them at the last minute.
While “15/18 (A Place to Heal)” places us inside a chaotic and energetic environment, it also struggles to bring these patients’ stories to life in an effective way. There are impassioned performances to be found throughout the film from performers Khebizi and Monpart, but Kahn doesn’t give them enough material to really elevate their characters. The film is also hindered by a lack of focus in many ways and doesn’t explore complex situations as well as it could have. But despite its flaws, viewers will not get bored in any sense because of the great cast and situations they found themselves in. All one can say is sit back and enjoy the ride.
