This Special Friendship

A newcomer to a rigid Catholic school for boys finds himself unexpectedly in an institution rife with sexual tension. In this celibate world, George is shocked to discover that the classmate who first befriended him is having a love affair with another boy. At first repelled, Georges eventually meets the young Alexandre, who immediately changes his tune about the formation of a special friendship. Based on the novel by Roger Peyrefitte and directed by Jean Delannoy, this 1964 film is one of the earliest films in history to feature strongly implied homosexuality among youths. A delicate and tender ode to friendship, same-sex attraction, and the lengths religious leaders went to tame the human impulse, This Special Friendship is a true gem.