--- title: "Wild Reeds" year: 1994 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wild-reeds" fi1m_id: "wild-reeds" imdb_id: "tt0111019" tmdb_id: 26933 wikidata_id: "Q1656834" fi1m_score: 84 critics_reviews: 1 published: "2026-09-26T02:22:15.687537+00:00" updated: "2026-09-26T02:22:16.046427+00:00" region: "HR" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Wild Reeds (1994) Directed by André Téchiné · 1h 55m · Drama, Romance ## Identity Wild Reeds - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/wild-reeds - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** wild-reeds - **IMDb ID:** tt0111019 - **TMDB ID:** 26933 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1656834 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111019/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/26933, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1656834 **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics: 1 of 6 reviews so far *In a sentence:* Adolescence is hard enough without being expected to explain Algeria > André Téchiné gives adolescent desire and political conviction equal seriousness in this warm, attentive drama. The performances earn our affection, though the writing occasionally presses its connections harder than it needs to. ## Synopsis François Forestier (Gaël Morel), Maïté Alvarez (Élodie Bouchez), Serge Bartolo (Stéphane Rideau) and Henri Mariani (Frédéric Gorny) face adolescence amid the political upheaval surrounding Algeria’s independence. Their efforts to understand their feelings for one another become entangled with questions of political conviction. Desire complicates their relationships, while the conflict around them makes private concerns difficult to separate from public allegiances. The ensemble also includes Madame Alvarez (Michèle Moretti) and Monsieur Morelli (Jacques Nolot). The drama follows these young people as emotional uncertainty and political division put pressure on their attachments. ## Review André Téchiné’s *Wild Reeds* is a generous, absorbing adolescent drama, with one reservation: the politics sometimes makes the young people seem responsible for explaining too much. Against the upheaval surrounding Algeria’s independence, their private confusion receives patient attention. We recommend it for that patience, and for performances that never make youth an excuse to diminish anyone’s feelings. The director allows uncertainty to remain uncomfortable rather than hurrying everyone towards an explanation. Gaël Morel’s François Forestier is the strongest reason to stay close. We were moved by how uncomfortable he makes uncertainty look; the performance offers little reassurance that being young makes it easier to bear. He lets François be difficult to understand without making him remote. Stéphane Rideau gives Serge Bartolo a firmer presence, and the difference between them keeps adolescent unease from becoming the same performance repeated across the cast. Élodie Bouchez gives Maïté Alvarez enough firmness to resist becoming merely someone for the others to react to. Her intelligence comes through without the performance asking us to applaud it. Frédéric Gorny’s Henri Mariani is less immediately inviting, which gives the ensemble a useful difficulty. Our interest in these people does not depend on finding them equally agreeable, and the actors allow their differences to remain noticeable. The screenplay, by André Téchiné, Gilles Taurand and Olivier Massart, takes its adolescents seriously without treating their opinions as settled wisdom. At times, though, the writing seems too keen to explain how romantic confusion and political division belong together. We understand the connection before it has finished being made. This is a limitation rather than a fatal mistake, but it briefly makes the characters seem more neatly accounted for than the performances suggest they should be. Jeanne Lapoirie’s cinematography keeps our attention on the performers, and the film benefits from that lack of fuss. The photography is attentive without making distress seem attractive for its own sake. Martine Giordano’s editing gives the ensemble a clear shape while preserving differences in how readily each character invites sympathy. Together, these contributions help us follow changes of feeling without needing every change to announce itself as a major development. Pierre Soula’s production design is similarly restrained, supporting the drama without asking for separate admiration. Elisabeth Tavernier’s costume design keeps the people more noticeable than their clothes. This restraint works because the acting supplies enough awkwardness and stubbornness to hold our attention. Without those qualities, such careful presentation could easily become polite, and politeness would do these characters few favours. Coming-of-age dramas can become indulgent about the very confusion they claim to examine. *Wild Reeds* gives its young people affection without making their difficulties look pleasant, and that is why its warmth feels earned. Its occasional insistence on the political connections remains our caveat, especially for anyone who prefers a drama to leave more unsaid. See it for the actors, particularly when they seem least sure of themselves. *Fi1m score 84, published 26 September 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is Wild Reeds worth watching?** *Wild Reeds* is worth watching for its warm, attentive treatment of adolescent uncertainty and its strong ensemble performances; we score it 84 out of 100. We recommend it especially for those who enjoy patient, character-led drama, though the writing sometimes overexplains the connections between private feelings and the politics surrounding Algeria’s independence. **How long is Wild Reeds, and what is it rated?** *Wild Reeds* runs 1h 55m. It is a drama and romance film. **Where can I watch Wild Reeds in Croatia?** *Wild Reeds* is streaming on Netflix in Croatia. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How does Wild Reeds compare to The 400 Blows?** *Wild Reeds* follows an adolescent ensemble caught between desire and political conviction, while [*The 400 Blows*](https://film.one/film/the-400-blows) concentrates on a neglected Parisian boy. We favour the latter for its convincing portrayal of mischief and vulnerability, and *Wild Reeds* for the differences in feeling across its cast. Both occasionally press too hard: through political explanation in *Wild Reeds*, and through music seeking sympathy in *The 400 Blows*. **What should I watch after Wild Reeds?** After *Wild Reeds*, try [*The 400 Blows*](https://film.one/film/the-400-blows) (1959, Fi1m 91): Another attentive account of youth that refuses to make adult understanding come easily. Then [*A Brighter Summer Day*](https://film.one/film/a-brighter-summer-day) (1991, Fi1m 90): Adolescent attachments and political pressures meet in a more expansive, demanding drama; and [*My Beautiful Laundrette*](https://film.one/film/my-beautiful-laundrette) (1985, Fi1m 85): Desire, work and political allegiance complicate each other without extinguishing the humour. ### Reviews we read (1) - **Variety**, Emanuel Levy (90/100, inferred): Levy says Téchiné is back in top form, calling the film one of his most emotional works. He praises its precise interplay of adolescent turmoil and the political upheaval surrounding Algeria’s independence. [Read](https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/wild-reed-les-roseaux-sauvages-1200437640/) ## Details - **Director:** André Téchiné - **Director:** André Téchiné - **Writer:** Olivier Massart, Gilles Taurand, André Téchiné - **Cinematography:** Jeanne Lapoirie - **Editor:** Martine Giordano - **Production design:** Pierre Soula - **Costume design:** Elisabeth Tavernier - **Producer:** Georges Benayoun, Alain Sarde - **Cast:** Élodie Bouchez as Maïté Alvarez; Gaël Morel as François Forestier; Stéphane Rideau as Serge Bartolo; Frédéric Gorny as Henri Mariani; Michèle Moretti as Madame Alvarez; Jacques Nolot as Monsieur Morelli; Eric Kreikenmayer as Pierre Bartolo; Nathalie Vignes as Irène - **Runtime:** 1h 55m - **First release (France):** 1 June 1994 - **Genres:** Drama, Romance - **Box office:** $807,775 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3On9Zj0Xnw ## Where to watch in Croatia - Netflix: streaming *Checked 2026-09-26.* Also available in: BE, BG, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, GR, HR, HU, IS, LT, NL, NO, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - César Award for Best Film 1995: César Award for Best Film (won) - International Submission to the Academy Awards 1995: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated) - Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1995: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film (won) - National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1995: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film (won) - New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1995: New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film (won) - Louis Delluc Prize 1994: Louis Delluc Prize (won) ## If you liked this - *The 400 Blows* (1959), Fi1m 91: Another attentive account of youth that refuses to make adult understanding come easily. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-400-blows.md) - *A Brighter Summer Day* (1991), Fi1m 90: Adolescent attachments and political pressures meet in a more expansive, demanding drama. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-brighter-summer-day.md) - *My Beautiful Laundrette* (1985), Fi1m 85: Desire, work and political allegiance complicate each other without extinguishing the humour. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/my-beautiful-laundrette.md) - *Water Lilies* (2007): For another close examination of adolescent desire, especially its unequal and awkward negotiations. - *Moonlight* (2016), Fi1m 89: A patient drama of desire and self-understanding, with performances worth watching closely. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/moonlight.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/wild-reeds