Gay. Straight. Bi. These days, no matter what you're into, discovering sexual relationships for the first time can be confusing and downright scary. As a teenager, it is easy to feel like you have no one to talk to about sex. But what if the opposite were true, and you had adults coming at you from all corners, guiding you through your sexual awakenings, even willing to help you gain a little no-strings-attached experience? More focused on his aspirations for professional tennis than on his studies, typical teenaged boy Jonas has been in the same grade for years, and has just learned that-having failed yet again-he will not be allowed to return to school in the fall. Having shared the news with his mother's friends, Pierre, and couple Nathalie and Didier, Jonas perks up when they offer to tutor him. But after taking Jonas under their wing, their interest in his academic performance takes a back seat to their interest in his performance between the sheets. Between science and history lessons, Jonas is briefed on foreskins and clitoral stimulation.
Taking him to clubs, getting him drunk, and sharing the details of their past and present relationships, Pierre, Nathalie and Didier treat Jonas like their peer and, for the most part, he feels right at home. But when candid advice and anecdotes give way to offers of blowjobs and group sex, impressionable Jonas is forced to grow up too fast.
With a neutral lens and a subtle approach, writer/director Joachim Lafosse (Private Property) offers an intriguing tale of innocence, corruption and the unique relationships between people who are decades apart. Private Lessons brings a new dynamic to the teen mantra, 'I wish they'd treat me like more of an adult.'
CANADIAN PREMIERE
