Familia is a 2005 Canadian drama film written and directed by Louise Archambault. Starring Sylvie Moreau and Macha Grenon, the film centres on two longtime friends whose families become entangled. It debuted in competition at the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival and shared the Best Canadian First Feature Film award at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival.
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Synopsis
Mimi is an aerobics instructor whose gambling debts force her to leave Montreal with her teenage daughter, Marguerite. After a planned trip to California falls through, they stay with Mimi’s longtime friend Janine, an interior decorator living in Saint-Hilaire. Janine gives Mimi a place to stay and later offers her work, but tensions develop between the two women and between their daughters, Marguerite and Gabrielle. The conflict is resolved when Janine enlists Mimi’s help in taking revenge on her unfaithful husband, Charles.
Cast
The cast includes:
Production
The film was produced by micro_scope, with participation from Telefilm Canada, SODEC, the Harold Greenberg Fund, Radio-Canada and Super Écran. It was written and directed by Louise Archambault. The film had a budget of C$1.9 million.
Release
The film debuted in competition at the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival. It later screened in the Canada First programme at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival.
Reception
Critical response
Derek Elley of Variety described Familia as a "largely entertaining feature debut". He praised the casting, but found the film uneven in the way it moved between comedy and drama.
Dan Fainaru of Screen Daily described the film as a "cheerful debut" and a "pleasant diversion", writing that it was likely to work well with festival and family audiences. He praised Macha Grenon’s performance as Janine, but found that the plot weakened in the middle and that the ending failed to connect with what came before.
Awards and recognition
Archambault won the 2005 Claude Jutra Award for best feature film by a first-time Canadian director. The film also shared the Best Canadian First Feature Film award at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. In December 2005, it was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Canada's Top Ten list of the year's best films.