The Kid with a Bike

Le gamin au vélo

A young boy’s parental abandonment sees him taken in by a kind stranger, in this humanist drama from the Dardenne brothers.

  • Directors

    Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

  • With

    Thomas Doret, Cécile de France, Jérémie Renier

  • Belgium-France 2011. 87min

  • 35mm

  • Certificate

    12A

  • English subtitles

After spending a month in a children’s home, Cyril still refuses to believe his father has abandoned him for good – furiously searching for him on his beloved bicycle. Despite the help of a kind hairdresser, who agrees to care for him, feelings of rejection haunt the boy. The Dardennes’ film is one of their most compelling and heartbreaking explorations of our need for love and affection.

Also available on BFI Player