Hidden Kisses 2016

Nathan, Bérenger Anceaux as Nathan, a teenager, travels with his father Stéphane Patrick Timsit, a police officer, to their new apartment after a mid-term transfer. Their once close relationship becomes strained when Stéphane learns that Nathan is gay, and the distance between them grows colder as the days pass. Yet a pivotal moment arrives when Stéphane returns to Nathan’s room to find him beaten and crying; this painful scene softens the ice between them, and he softly repeats a simple, powerful reassurance: > I’m here. This line marks a turning point, and from there Stéphane begins to offer his son genuine support, urging him to be himself without fear of judgment.

At school, Nathan’s courage is put to the test. At a party, Nathan kisses a boy, Louis, whom he had secretly met, and someone snaps a photo. The image, taken in the dark and from an awkward angle, propagates quickly through the hallways, and Nathan becomes the target of relentless bullying. Tristan Nicolas Carpentier, an English teacher who senses something is wrong, tries to seek guidance from the math teacher Catherine Catherine Jacob. Catherine, who leads a private life with her girlfriend, chooses not to intervene at first, and the refusal stings Nathan’s sense of safety and belonging. The mood at school grows tense as gossip spreads, and many students fail to see that the boy in the photo is Louis, not Nathan, due to the darkness and the angle.

Louis, who appears at first to reject any label, feels the pressure too. He denies being gay when Nathan confronts him, and he heads home to his girlfriend Laura Lisa Kramarz, trying to put on a normal front. In class, the escalation continues: Nathan is beaten in P.E. while a confused Louis watches and, in a painful twist, participates in the assault. Laura later reveals she was the one who took the photo, intending to trigger a reaction, and Louis lashes out, accusing Nathan of coercing him into a forced revelation. Catherine eventually shares a story about a girl who preferred girls and faced bullying, a moment that mirrors Nathan’s own experience and stirs something in him. In a bold move, Catherine’s public kiss with her girlfriend is witnessed by students, and Nathan decides to stand up for himself by kissing Louis in public as well, only to face bitter rejection once again.

Louis’s home life grows heavier. Corinne [Barbara Schulz] and her husband Bruno [Bruno Putzulu] punish Louis after discovering he watches gay pornography, confiscating his phone and computer and keeping him from school for several days. Meanwhile, Catherine and Tristan plead with the principal to safeguard Nathan and every LGBT student, but their pleas go unanswered. A few days later, Louis apologizes to his parents and insists he isn’t gay, but the moment of relief is brief—when they give back his devices, they discover he’s lying again. The weight of the secret and the fear of rejection pushes Louis toward a dangerous edge: he runs away and seeks solace with Laura, who discovers Louis’s underlying pain and heartbreakingly asks for money, prompting a deeper crisis.

Nathan and his father mount a search, and they eventually find Louis on a rooftop, contemplating suicide. They rescue him, and the two boys share a tender embrace that suggests a fragile but real bond. Back at Stéphane’s apartment, Louis stays up late, but drifts to sleep when Nathan invites him to lie close. The next day, Stéphane calls Louis’s parents, and Louis’s father arrives to take him home. Stéphane tries to discuss what happened, but Louis’s father, convinced he’s protecting Louis, grows agitated and orders him to come to him immediately. Louis and his mother eventually leave Louis’s father’s house, and she admits they must change—she can no longer accept a pattern that harms their son. She leaves, taking Louis and her younger son with her.

Louis, his mother, and his brother move to a new house, and Louis transfers to a school closer to home. Louis remains in touch with Laura, and they plan to meet again at his next boxing match. Nathan and Laura travel to the station to greet Louis, and when Louis arrives, he and Nathan share a kiss in front of onlookers, with Laura encouraging them and recognizing the beauty of their connection.

The boxing match arrives with everyone present except Louis’s father. He contemplates whether his son truly loves boxing for himself or only because of him, and finally Louis chooses to box, determined to pursue it on his own terms. The first round does not go well, and Louis’s opponent takes the lead, but his father arrives and, though he watches, leaves before the match ends. Louis sprints to his father’s car after the bell, telling him that his progress is a result of his father’s influence and asking him to stay and celebrate with the others. The car door closes in silence as his father drives off, leaving Louis hurt and uncertain. Stéphane finds Louis and offers quiet reassurance, reminding him that progress takes time and that everyone is waiting to celebrate him.

In the end, the story circles back to a fragile but hopeful bond: Louis, Nathan, and their growing circle of friends navigate a world that is learning to accept them as they are, choosing courage over fear, and choosing to be there for one another even when the path is difficult and uncertain. The shared moments—hugs, kisses, and the unspoken promise of support—linger as a reminder that love and acceptance can begin with a single, steady voice saying, “I’m here.”