“Ari” on Arte Explores the Painful, Necessary Rebirth of Young Adulthood
Paris, France – Arte premieres Ari this Friday, October 10th at 9 p.m., a telefilm charting the turbulent journey of a 27-year-old man confronting disillusionment and the complexities of forging an identity beyond expectation. The film, directed by Léonor Serraille and starring Andranic Manet in the titular role, doesn’t offer easy answers, but a raw and intimate portrayal of a quarter-life crisis as a catalyst for unexpected growth.
Ari centers on a trainee teacher in Lille who experiences a breakdown at work and decides to abandon a profession he painstakingly prepared for. This decision triggers a cascade of upheaval: his father, a house painter, responds by severing ties and evicting him. The film immediately establishes a poignant emotional landscape, framed by the lingering grief over Ari’s deceased mother – her image prominently featured in the opening scenes – and the unresolved weight of a past relationship with Irène, with whom he shares a child who now lives in Paris.
The narrative unfolds during Ari’s period of sick leave, a liminal space where he’s forced to reconcile his desire to resign with the realities of his life and the lives of those around him. He drifts between temporary living situations, reconnecting with childhood friends and observing the divergent paths they’ve taken – some embracing conventional milestones like marriage and parenthood, others navigating life as artists, stoners, or simply existing on the fringes. ari presents a nuanced portrait of a generation grappling with uncertainty and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.
