Le père de mes enfants (2009)

Director:

Mia Hansen-Løve

Writer:

Mia Hansen-Løve (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 December 2009 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Artist. Mentor. Love of my life.

Plot:

A film producer struggles with suicidal despair.

Plot Keywords:

Producer | Debt | Play | Film Producer | Italian

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Louis-Do de Lencquesaing	...	Grégoire Canvel
Chiara Caselli	...	Sylvia Canvel
Alice de Lencquesaing	...	Clémence Canvel
Alice Gautier	...	Valentine Canvel
Manelle Driss	...	Billie Canvel
Eric Elmosnino	...	Serge
Sandrine Dumas	...	Valérie, l'assistante de production
Dominique Frot	...	Bérénice, la directrice de production
Antoine Mathieu	...	Frédéric, le comptable
Igor Hansen-Løve	...	Arthur Malkavian
Elsa Pharaon	...	Colette, la secrétaire
Olivia Ross	...	Anja, la stagiaire
Jamshed Usmonov	...	Kova Asimov
Cori Shim	...	Ji Hong, la cinéaste coréenne
Yejin Kim	...	La traductrice
Philippe Paimblanc	...	Le directeur adjoint du laboratoire
Magne-Håvard Brekke	...	Stig Janson (as Magne Håvard Brekke)
Eric Plouvier	...	L'avocat
Michaël Abiteboul	...	Le banquier
André Marcon	...	L'administrateur
Valérie Lang	...	Isabelle, la mèr de Moune
Guy-Patrick Sainderichin	...	Le liguidateur
François Soulas	...	Le gendarme
Ludovic Bergery	...	Le comédien de 'Sang versé'
Manuel Schapira	...	Le chef-opérateur de 'Sang versé' (as Manuel Shapira)
Raphaël Chevènement	...	Le réalsateur de 'Sang versé'
Coralie Fraoua	...	La réceptionniste de CinéCrédit
Joan Monnier	...	L'étalonneuse
Lorenza André	...	La soeur de Grégoire
Michaël Sarfati	...	Le frère de Grégoire
Morgane Masselot	...	Amie de Clémence 1
Bérénice Renaud	...	Amie de Clémence 2
Geoffroy Canalda-Saigne	...	Fils d'Isabelle
Mathieu Senocq	...	Fils d'Isabelle
Arnaud Merlet	...	Copain du fils d'Isabelle
David Hedrich	...	Stagiaire Moon Films
Rémi Boiteux	...	Stagiaire Moon Films
Romain Bno	...	Stagiaire Moon Films
Alka Balbir	...	Commérage
Hélène Bastide	...	Commérage
David Blot	...	Commérage
Yoko Lacour	...	Commérage
Juliette Mallon	...	Commérage
Laurent Perrin	...	Commérage
Elena Butas	...	Serveuse bar
Peter Von Poehl	...	L'assistant de Stig (voice)
Harald Leander	...	Michael, un assistant de Janson
George Binder	...	Boris, un producteur russe
Georgi Staykov	...	Georgi, un producteur russe
China Åhlander	...	China, la conductrice suédoise
Pascal Wibe	...	Un assistant suédois
Anna Diehl	...	Une assistante suédoise
Lyang Kim	...	Femme équipe coréenne
Juncheol Kim	...	Femme équipe coréenne
Yang-Hee Kim-Aumont	...	Femme équipe coréenne
Heekyung Kwon	...	Femme équipe coréenne
Junghyan Oh	...	Femme équipe coréenne
Hyenou Seo	...	Femme équipe coréenne

Directed by
Mia Hansen-Løve

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mia Hansen-Løve		screenplay

Produced by
Rémi Burah	....	co-producer
Oliver Damian	....	producer
Philippe Martin	....	producer
David Thion	....	producer

Cinematography by
Pascal Auffray

Film Editing by
Marion Monnier

Casting by
Elsa Pharaon

Set Decoration by
Mathieu Menut

Makeup Department
Raphaële Thiercelin	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Hélène Bastide	....	production manager
Stéphanie Delbos	....	unit manager
China Åhlander	....	production manager: Sweden

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marie Doller	....	second assistant director
Juliette Maillard	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Toma Baqueni	....	property master

Sound Department
Laurent Boudaud	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick Egreteau	....	foley artist
Olivier Goinard	....	sound mixer
Alain Lévy	....	post-synchronisation
Clemens Nürnberger	....	sound editor
Matthieu Tartamella	....	sound recordist
Vincent Vatoux	....	sound editor
Vincent Vatoux	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Karine Arlot	....	assistant camera
Carole Bethuel	....	still photographer
Simon Blanchard	....	first assistant camera
Mathieu Brémond	....	chief electrician
Mathieu Brémond	....	gaffer
Jaoued Dugueyt	....	electrician
Chloé Fassio	....	assistant camera
Stéphane Gallou	....	grip
Gaston Grandin	....	key grip

Casting Department
Alice Darmon	....	casting assistant
Sven Hansen-Løve	....	extras casting
Marie Miniconi	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bethsabée Dreyfus	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Juliette Mallon	....	post-production coordinator
Mathilde Van de Moortel	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Pascal Mayer	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Elisabeth Bartels	....	junior producer: Germany
Mathilde Boisgontier	....	production accountant
Nadège Bournaud	....	production accountant assistant
Olivier Guerpillon	....	production service
David Hedrich	....	production assistant
Peter Kimay	....	production coordinator: Sweden
Florence Lemoine	....	production adminstrator
Clémentine Schaeffer	....	script supervisor
Julien Siri	....	production service
Johanna Zerbib	....	production secretary
China Åhlander	....	location manager: Sweden
China Åhlander	....	production coordinator: Sweden

Thanks
Humbert Balsan	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Les Films Pelléas
• 27 Films Production (co-production)
• arte France Cinéma (co-production)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Canal+ (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) (participation)
• Centre Images - Région Centre (support)
• Cinémage 3 (in association with)
• Cofimage 20 (in association with)
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (support)

Distributors

• Les Films du Losange (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• France Télévision Distribution (2010) (France) (DVD)
• Artificial Eye (2010) (UK) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2009) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Crest International (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Farbfilm-Verleih (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2010) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Palace Films (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Alambique Destilaria de Ideias Unipessoal (2010) (Portugal) (all media)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Lighthouse Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Mongrel Media (2010) (Canada) (DVD)
• Teodora Film (2009) (Italy) (all media)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix

Also Known As:

"Father of My Children" - International (English title) (imdb display title), USA
"Der Vater meiner Kinder" - Germany
"El padre de mis hijos" - Argentina
"Gyermekeim apja" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Il padre dei miei figli" - Italy
"O Pai das Minhas Filhas" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"O Pai dos Meus Filhos" - Brazil (imdb display title)
"O pateras ton paidion mou" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

France | Germany

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Japan:G | Australia:MA | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | Germany:12 (f) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M (DVD rating)

Company:

Les Films Pelléas

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.10" (2011)

'The Defeat of Death, The Victory of Life'

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Yes, this space is dedicated to the sale of a movie poster for the magnificent film 'Le père de mes enfants' (THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN) but likely the film spot will surface very soon: this is on of those foreign films that enters quietly, gently urging audiences to notice how fine the product is. So despite the fact that the film is currently in theaters and will soon be released on DVD, this serves as a wake-up notice to film lovers everywhere.

Young Writer/Director Mia Hansen-Løve has created a story loosely based on a real situation that manages to examine the central aspect of family love: 'the defeat of death, the victory of life'. Grégoire Canvel (Louis-Do de Lencquesaing) is a producer in the film industry, an auteur who is devoted to quality films. As a producer he has several films in varying stages of production (including one in Sweden directed by a difficult genius who has little respect for cost containment) and the financial aspects of his Moon Films is in rocky terrain, despite being surrounded by a staff devoted to his vision and going without pay because of their commitment. At the same time Grégoire is a devoted husband to his wise wife Sylvia (Chiara Caselli) and to his three daughters - the oldest being the sensitive Clémence (a stunning portrayal by young Alice de Lencquesaing), Valentine (Alice Gautier) and Billie (Manelle Driss) - taking country walks with them and being wholly involved with their family activities, despite the fact that he is constantly on the cellphone managing the tragedies that abound at work. It is apparent that everyone who comes into contact with Grégoire feels the special gifts he has - except for the lawyer and creditors he tries to avoid. The financial sinkhole opens and Grégoire, in despair, commits suicide. The story actually begins here, as the point of the film is how each of the people who came under Grégoire's influence - co-workers, wife and children, and friends - responds to the loss of this man. There is not the usual breast-beating grieving, but rather a quiet study of how each of these people is affected by and reacts to the passing of a solitary genius by suicide. The film is definitely one that is life affirming rather than an extended eulogy!

The entire cast is excellent, with special kudos to the children as well as to Eric Elmosnino who plays a rock bound friend to the family and the director's brother Igor Hansen-Løve whose small part as a hopeful writer is richly detailed. This may be too early a time to judge the talent of Mia Hansen-Løve, but if she is able to maintain the quality she achieves in THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN, she has an exciting future in cinema. Highly recommended.

Grady Harp