French director Michel Gondry is back for another misadventure full of charm, humour and heart. Microbe & Gasoline – screening at the upcoming French Film Festival – is a tale of two teens searching for their place in the world while realising their own independence.

Microbe, a.k.a Daniel (Ange Dargent), is the film’s protagonist. He struggles with a sense of exclusion, an apparent lack of personality and regularly being mistaken for a girl. One day, he meets Théo (Théophile Baquet) – otherwise known as Gasoline – who, although dealing with his own unfortunate home-life, has a confidence about him that Daniel envies. Forming a fast friendship, the two begin working on a joint project: building a home-made car. Being still too young to drive on public roads, the boys creatively disguise the car as a small house which becomes their ticket to independence as they embark on a cross country journey of self-discovery.

Microbe & Gasoline is a classic coming-of-age story defined by Gondry’s creative trademarks –quirky characters and a dash of surrealism. The film boasts beautiful French landscapes and creative production design reflecting the characters’ quirks; these qualities, paired with Gondry’s unique style, makes Microbe & Gasoline an adorably fun road trip film.