Zachary, 17, is released from prison. Rejected by his mother, he hangs around the mean streets of Marseille, where he meets Shéhérazade, a teenage sex worker. They fall in love and Shéhérazade puts him up in her room. Little by little, without really wanting to, Zach becomes Shéhérazade’s pimp.

Fires of teen romance blaze across this tenacious, impressive debut, where sweetness manages to flourish against societal violence. Winning the lead actors and director a César award each, Shéhérazade’s fierce love story limns its hard-hitting realism with warmth and flickers of youthful hope.