When Jim's biological father comes back into the picture after years of being absent, a family questions the true meaning of the word, father. A heartwarming story set against the backdrop of rural France.
A touching melodrama of fatherhood that depicts a relentlessly nice guy who somehow walks wide-eyed into an emotional catastrophe.
Jim's Story 2024
Le roman de Jim
This decades-spanning drama from the Larrieu brothers (A Real Man, NZIFF 2004) follows a troubled but nice young man named Aymeric (Karim Leklou). After a stint in prison, he starts a romance with Florence (Laetitia Dosch), a former colleague who is six months pregnant with a child whose father does not want to be involved. He agrees to marry her and bring up the child, who becomes the titular Jim, as his own. They move to the countryside and are a happy family until Jim’s biological father suffers a tragedy and Florence and Aymeric agree to let him into Jim’s life. This brings chaos into the family and is quickly followed by a series of miscommunications, lies and betrayals.
Beautifully shot in the countryside in the rural Jura region in France and the city of Lyon, Jim’s Story, adapted from the novel by Pierric Bailly, is about the true nature of fatherhood and the long-lasting bonds that can be formed between adults and children growing up. The Larrieu brothers tell the story with empathy for the characters and a healthy dose of humour so while the film has its share of sadness, it never gets too bleak. — Jordan Salomen