The Kid with a Bike

The Kid with a Bike is a 2011 drama film written and directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, starring Thomas Doret and Cécile de France. Set in Seraing, it tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who turns to a woman for comfort after his father has abandoned him. The film was produced through companies in Belgium and France. While The Kid with a Bike does not deviate from the naturalistic style of the Dardenne brothers' earlier works, a comparatively bright aesthetic was employed, as well as a screenplay inspired by fairy tales. Unusually for a film by the directors, it also uses music. It premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and was co-winner of the festival's Grand Prix. Plot Cyril, a 12-year-old in a Liège children's home, attempts to call his father, who said he would only be there for a month, but gets no response. He makes a violent escape from the home and goes to his father's building, where a neighbor tells him his father's apartment is empty. When found by the caretakers Cyril grabs hold of a passing woman, Samantha, who says she doesn't mind. The caretakers take Cyril to the empty apartment, showing his father has abandoned him. The next day, Samantha brings Cyril his bike. Cyril asks her to host him on weekends, she agrees and with her partner Gilles provide Cyril with a happy home. Still, his father's abandonment haunts him, even after discovering his father sold his bike. He confides in Samantha about wanting his father and, without official permission, she tracks him down and takes Cyril to see him. Cyril's father does not meet as agreed but they find him working at a restaurant, where Cyril asks why he has to stay at the home and his father gives no indication of wanting him back. Cyril's father tells Samantha he is now her problem, he has a new life and cannot raise Cyril now that his grandmother is dead. Samantha demands Cyril's father be honest with him and his father tells him not to see him again, causing Cyril to have a breakdown.