French crime thriller ‘Chasing Johnny’ probes deep ties of friendship

By Viola Ke

French film “Chasing Johnny,” directed by Baptiste Debraux, will have its international premiere at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival where it is competing for the Golden Goblet Awards.

In the movie, Johnny, played by Pierre Lottin, is the activist leader of Rochebrune's small town protest movement but has disappeared after hijacking a money van.

When Paul Ligre, played by Bastien Bouillon, hears the news, he returns to the town where he grew up, trying to find his childhood friend before the police do.

But the investigation of police officer Anna Werner, played by celebrated actress Lea Drucker, inevitably leads her to the secret that ties Paul and Johnny together.

According to Debraux, he grew up in a small industrial city in France, where many factories closed during the 1980s, leading to widespread unemployment.

This experience profoundly influenced his desire to tell the stories of these people through film. 

"When creating the character of Johnny, I used a first-person perspective to convey the struggles and desperation of the young people of that era," Debraux told a SIFF press conference. 

The film's French title translates to "A Man on the Run," while the English title is "Chasing Johnny." 

Debraux explained that the name carries a dual meaning: it refers to Johnny, who escapes at the beginning of the film, and also to Paul, Johnny's friend. 

Paul left the town but returns to search for Johnny, attempting to fill the gaps in his own life.