Canal+ will devote its Tuesday primetime slot (Feb. 17) to a Cinema for Peace special built around Loris Lai’s Les Enfants de Gaza: Les Vagues de la Liberté — released internationally as How Kids Roll. The evening pairs a full screening of the film with a live studio discussion featuring Lai, the young leads and a panel of filmmakers and cultural figures. The aim is simple: use cinema as a starting point for conversation about empathy, responsibility and how stories shape our view of conflict.
About the film How Kids Roll is set in 2003 and follows two eleven‑year‑old boys, Mahmud in Gaza and Alon in Israel, who find a fragile friendship through an unlikely passion: surfing. The sport becomes a recurring image of freedom and brief refuge amid surrounding tension. Loris Lai favors intimate camerawork and a coastal soundscape that alternates between hush and threat, letting the boys’ small rituals and sudden ruptures tell the larger story.
Story and themes The drama unfolds against the Second Intifada. Dan, a former surf champion in his thirties, becomes an imperfect mentor and the human fulcrum between the boys. As the narrative presses forward, Mahmud faces a painful choice that carries long-term consequences. The film leans toward moral complexity rather than grand political statements: it explores brotherhood, conscience and the narrow sanctuaries people carve out in fraught places. Some viewers may wish for more historical framing; others will appreciate the film’s focus on lived experience and emotional truth.
How it was made How Kids Roll is a European co‑production produced by Tarak Ben Ammar’s Eagle banner, with Elsa Ferri among the producers. Production finished before the Oct. 7, attack — a timing the filmmakers and Canal+ have highlighted to distinguish the film’s intentions from later events. The team used period-accurate sets and naturalistic lighting, favoring handheld cameras for domestic moments and steadier long takes for the surf scenes. Lai’s direction prioritizes natural performances and minimal voiceover, while the sound design relies mostly on diegetic audio punctuated by a spare score.
Performances and visual language The child actors deliver much of the film’s emotional weight, supported by a grounded mentor figure. Surfing functions as an elegant metaphor rather than spectacle: it communicates freedom without spelling everything out. Cinematography and production design quietly reinforce the story’s human scale, even as the world beyond the beach exerts pressure on the boys’ lives.
The broadcast event Canal+ plans a hybrid presentation: a theatrical-feeling broadcast followed immediately by a live debate moderated by Sonia Mabrouk and Laurie Cholewa. Panelists will include Loris Lai, lead actors Mikhael Fridel and Marwan Hamdan, Hugues Dewavrin of Les Écrans de la Paix, and filmmakers Alexandre Arcady, Pascal Elbé and Jawad Rhalib. The conversation is designed to unpack the film’s choices and encourage viewers to reflect — and Canal+ will use recorded clips and post-event materials to extend the discussion into classrooms and community screenings.
Why this format matters Pairing a film with real-time discussion helps audiences move from passive viewing to active engagement. When lives and ideas are on display, a moderated debate can clarify artistic intention, surface different perspectives and offer educators materials for follow-up. That said, live events add logistical complexity and cost, and they need careful moderation to avoid polarizing the conversation.
Educational and outreach potential How Kids Roll has been positioned for use beyond the cinema. Schools and community groups can screen selected scenes to spark conversations about resilience, moral decision‑making and cross‑cultural empathy. Canal+ and partners are preparing pedagogical packs and edited Q&A highlights to help teachers and facilitators frame the film constructively. These resources could increase classroom adoption, though uptake will depend on local contexts and promotion.
Distribution and market outlook The film fits a niche that festival programmers and specialty streamers continue to value: intimate, humanist dramas that address difficult social realities. Its production pedigree — Eagle and Ferri — and Canal+’s primetime commitment help its visibility. Much will hinge on critical reception and how well contextual materials are packaged for international audiences. Festival exposure, paired debates and education outreach can all improve licensing prospects, but converting early interest into sustained viewership requires ongoing promotion.
A note on reception Because the film was completed before later regional events, its creators and backers emphasize that it should be read as a specific story about childhood and moral choices rather than a direct commentary on unfolding politics. Still, viewers may inevitably interpret the film through current events; discussion materials and moderated forums will play an important role in shaping those readings.
About the film How Kids Roll is set in 2003 and follows two eleven‑year‑old boys, Mahmud in Gaza and Alon in Israel, who find a fragile friendship through an unlikely passion: surfing. The sport becomes a recurring image of freedom and brief refuge amid surrounding tension. Loris Lai favors intimate camerawork and a coastal soundscape that alternates between hush and threat, letting the boys’ small rituals and sudden ruptures tell the larger story.0
About the film How Kids Roll is set in 2003 and follows two eleven‑year‑old boys, Mahmud in Gaza and Alon in Israel, who find a fragile friendship through an unlikely passion: surfing. The sport becomes a recurring image of freedom and brief refuge amid surrounding tension. Loris Lai favors intimate camerawork and a coastal soundscape that alternates between hush and threat, letting the boys’ small rituals and sudden ruptures tell the larger story.1
About the film How Kids Roll is set in 2003 and follows two eleven‑year‑old boys, Mahmud in Gaza and Alon in Israel, who find a fragile friendship through an unlikely passion: surfing. The sport becomes a recurring image of freedom and brief refuge amid surrounding tension. Loris Lai favors intimate camerawork and a coastal soundscape that alternates between hush and threat, letting the boys’ small rituals and sudden ruptures tell the larger story.2