Cédric Kahn's new film '15/18' spotlights teenage life in a French psychiatric ward

Cédric Kahn’s new feature, released abroad as “15/18” and in English as “A Place to Heal,” is set in a public-hospital psychiatric ward for French teenagers aged 15 to 18. It tracks volatile patients such as 17-year-old Lucia, played by Malou Khebizi, and the more subdued Eloïse, alongside staff members like head psychiatrist Etienne (portrayed by Kahn) and nurse Carole (Sophie Guillemin). Co-written with Kahina Le Querrec after first-hand observation of similar wards, the script populates the film with mostly novice actors, supplemented by a few professionals.

The first half strings together loosely linked vignettes that capture the ward’s chaotic rhythm, before shifting to a tighter storyline centered on a single character’s breakthrough. Cinematographer Patrick Ghiringhelli employs a multi-camera, documentary-style approach, occasionally opening to wider shots that reveal the ward’s claustrophobic atmosphere. Selected for competition at Venice, the film is expected to secure limited theatrical distribution and suit arthouse streaming services.