Kung-Fu Master!

"He was 15. She was 40. Love is where you find it."

1988 1h 20m FR

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 74

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A lonely 40-year old woman finds herself shattering taboos by falling in love with the 14-year old Julien – but is it romance, or a desperate attempt to turn back time in the face of middle age?

“He was 15. She was 40. Love is where you find it.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Jane Birkin
Mary-Jane
Mathieu Demy
Julien
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Lucy
Lou Doillon
Lou
Gary Chekchak
Youngster
Cyril Houplain
Youngster
Frank Laurent
Youngster
Aurélien Hermant
Youngster

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Agnès Varda
Writers: Agnès Varda, Jane Birkin
Languages: German, French, English
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Agnès Varda, shot by Pierre-Laurent Chénieux. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Joanna Bruzdowicz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marie-Josée Audiard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jane Birkin and Mathieu Demy and Charlotte Gainsbourg carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He was 15. She was 40. Love is where you find it.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Agnès Varda directs. Pierre-Laurent Chénieux behind the camera. Joanna Bruzdowicz scores. Marie-Josée Audiard cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in German, French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
238 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, French, English.
4Directed by Agnès Varda, shot by Pierre-Laurent Chénieux. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Joanna Bruzdowicz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Marie-Josée Audiard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jane Birkin and Mathieu Demy and Charlotte Gainsbourg carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "He was 15. She was 40. Love is where you find it.".
9IMDB entry: tt0093371 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 74 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.