Az Adéle élete 1-2. fejezet két lány szerelméről szól, pikáns, explicit testiséggel fűszerezve. A 15 éves középiskolás Adéle tanár szeretne lenni, ám élete egyik pillanatról a másikra fenekestül felfordul, amikor találkozik Emmával, egy közeli főiskola kékhajú diáklányával. A két lány szenvedélyes viszonyba kezd egymással. Abdellatif Kechiche az Adéle élete 1-2. fejezet első felében követi az eredeti képregény történetét, ám filmjébe szerzői társadalomkritikai gondolatait is beleszövi.
Amin, an aspiring screenwriter living in Paris, returns home for the summer, to a fishing village in the South of France. It is a time of reconnecting with his family and his childhood friends. Together with his cousin Tony and his best friend Ophélie, he spends his time between the Tunisian restaurant run by his parents, the local bars and the beaches frequented by girls on holiday. Enchanted by the many female characters who surround him, Amin remains in awe of these summer sirens while his dionysiac cousin throws himself into their carnal delights with euphoria. Armed with his camera and guided by the bright simmer light of the Mediterranean coast, Amin pursues his philosophical quest while gathering inspiration for his screenplays. When it comes to love, only Mektoub (‘destiny' in Arabic) can decide.
It's the end of summer vacation for Amin. The young photographer spends cozy evenings with Charlotte, the ex-girlfriend of his Casanova cousin. She talks to him about literature, he photographs her. Nobody knows that they see each other, especially not Ophélie, his childhood friend, who instead confides her troubles to Amin : her father wants her to take over the family farm, her fiancé Clement will return soon from Iraq for their wedding, she is pregnant with Tony’s baby, and Tony wants to keep their affair secret instead of having a serious relationship. Ophélie constantly contemplates her choices : would it be better to get an abortion in secret and marry Clement or to follow her maternal instinct and keep the child, perhaps seeking refuge with Amin in Paris?
It’s the end of summer vacation for Amin. The young photographer spends cozy evenings with Charlotte, the ex-girlfriend of his casanova cousin. She talks to him about literature, he photographs her. Between Amin’s encounters with these women and his dreams of cinema, many choices open up to him.