The Father of My Children

Le père de mes enfants

Germany, France

2009

110 Min

Color

1.85:1

French

Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
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PROD Philippe Martin, David Thion

CAST Chiara Caselli, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Alice de Lencquesaing, Alice Gautier, Manelle Driss, Éric Elmosnino, Sandrine Dumas, Dominique Frot, Jamshed Usmonov

SOUND Vincent Vatoux, Olivier Goinard

Cannes (Un Certain Regard): Un Certain Regard - Special Jury Prize, Toronto (Contemporary World Cinema), London (Gala), Birds Eye View (Features), San Francisco (New Directors), Göteborg (Festivalfavoriter), COLCOA

Synopsis

Grégoire Canvel has everything a man could want. A wife he loves, three delightful children and a stimulating job. He’s a film producer. Discovering talented filmmakers and developing films that fit his conception of the cinema—free and true to life—is precisely his reason for living. His vocation. It fulfills him and Grégoire devotes almost all his time and energy to his work. He’s hyperactive, he never stops. Except on weekends, which he spends in the country with his family—gentle interludes, as precious as they are fragile. With his bearing and exceptional charisma, Grégoire commands admiration. He seems invincible. Yet his prestigious production company, Moon Films, is on its last legs. Too many productions, too many risks, too many debts. Storm clouds are gathering. But Grégoire plows on at all costs. Where will his blind obstinacy lead him? One day, he is obliged to face the facts. In one word: failure. He is overwhelmed by fatigue. Which soon, secretly, turns into despair. —Cannes Film Festival

Director

Mia Hansen-Løve

Cinema came into Mia Hansen-Løve’s life when she was eighteen, as Olivier Assayas made her start as an actress in Fin août, début septembre (1998). Two years later, he gave her the part of “Aline” in his Les destinées sentimentales (2000). Their artistic collaboration was coupled by a union in real life, Mia and Olivier becoming life companions. In 2001, Mia Hansen-Løve began studying at the municipal Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Paris’ 10th district but she dropped our after two years to contribute instead to the famous film magazine “Les Cahiers du Cinéma”, where Olivier Assayas also wrote. In 2001, she tried her hand at directing and, as of the first day of shooting, discovered that this WAS what she wanted to do. The result was Après mûre réflexion (2004). Since then, although aged only twenty-eight, she has already made two more films, Tout est pardonné (2007) and Le père de mes enfants (2009), both acclaimed by the critics, both showing consistent thematic and stylistic unity… read more