The momentary dreams of young people create a universe. Set in a real-life apartment complex, "Gagarin" is the feature debut of the duo's directorial debut.

Documentary, fantasy, science fiction, human. It is a film that fits all of these words, but it cannot be summed up in any one of them. GAGARINE" is a film beyond measure.

story
The Gagarin, a large red brick public housing complex located in the eastern suburbs of Paris, is where 16-year-old Yuri grew up. Growing up here, 16-year-old Yuri watched the sky through his telescope and dreamed of becoming a space tourist. But Yuri, together with his friends Husam and Diana, and Koge, set out to prevent the demolition of this place filled with precious memories of the man who will never return.

The protagonist of the story, 16-year-old Yuri, is played by Arseny Batiri, whose talent was discovered in this film. The actor's performance is so strong that it is hard to believe that he is making his debut on the screen, and his performance embodies the emotional volatility of the main character.

Other cast members include Lina Koudry, an actress of note who appears in Wes Anderson's latest film, "The French Dispatch: The Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun," as well as a special appearance by Doni Lavin, a regular in Leos Carax's films.

A grand theme that raises questions about society, and a star-studded cast of faces. When I looked at the credits to see which country the film was directed by, I saw the names Fanny Liatard and Jérémie Trouille.

The two were students together and later turned to filmmaking under the influence of the people they met while traveling the world, developing their short film "GAGARINE," which they made after winning a screenwriting contest in 2014, into their feature debut.

Because these two know firsthand what is going on in the world, their sense of responsibility to not treat naïve themes half-heartedly can be felt on the screen, which is why they were able to weave such a delicate and warm story.

The key word in this film is "space," and the magnificent and beautiful visuals are a highlight. The power of the images can be felt even more keenly in the script, which shows the subtleties of the young people's hearts and minds.

Regardless of nationality, gender, or environment, every young person faces the "conflict" between an uncertain longing for the outside world and an unfulfilled desire for the inside world. What will Yuri use as a springboard to pursue his dreams?