07/03/2025 - Quebec-based filmmaker Ken Scott turns the true story of a mother, who’ll stop at nothing to guarantee the best possible life for her son, into a nostalgic dramedy

The 40th edition of the Love International Film Festival Mons has opened with a screening of Ken Scott’s Once Upon My Mother [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a retro, family-focused comedy starring Leïla Bekhti, Jonathan Cohen… and Sylvie Vartan. Quebecker Ken Scott first made his name in the early 2000s for having written the screenplay for The Grand Seduction which was directed by fellow Quebecker Jean-François Pouliot (and selected for Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight in 2003), and then for directing Starbuck in 2011, which travelled to 25 countries and met with great critical and commercial success, primarily securing him the subsequent privilege of adapting the hit novel The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. He’s now returning with another adaptation, this time of the autobiographical novel by Roland Perez, a lawyer and radio presenter who speaks of his childhood and, fundamentally, the approach his mother took to his clubfoot.

It all begins in the 1960s, in the midst of an immigrant family living in the Parisian suburbs. The arrival of their 6th child means they’re entitled to social housing in Paris, but their joy is dampened by the disability little Roland is born with. The doctors are direct: he’ll never be able to walk. But they don’t appreciate the determination of his mother, Esther (Leïla Bekhti), who intends to do everything in her power – primarily involving God in their adventure – to ensure her son leads a normal life, refusing any kind of disability labelling. She does the rounds of all the practitioners until she finds a therapist who’s alternative, to say the least, and who prescribes a drastic approach for the little boy, whom he placates by accepting to listen to the soothing voice of Sylvie Vartan, Roland’s all-time idol. Against all expectations, the plan works. As an adult, Roland (played by Jonathan Cohen) - who’s briefly a dancer and then a journalist - crosses paths with his favourite artist. He bumps into her again later, in his new life as a jurist, ultimately becoming a lawyer and the singer’s friend.

Ken Scott’s film unfolds in two parts. The first, exploring his childhood, paints an affectionate portrait of a doting mother who’ll move mountains to give her son the best in life, to the point of deluding herself. It’s a tribute to the mother figure, providing Leïla Bekhti with an ideal arena for delivering an exuberant acting performance. The second half, revolving around Roland’s adult life, shows another side of this filial relationship, where Esther’s behaviour becomes suffocating as Roland tries to lead a grown man’s life without ever really managing to cut the cord. Unfortunately, the film chooses to age its actors (and to make them look younger) in a way that risks distracting from the story, especially when it comes to Leïla Bekhti and Jonathan Cohen who are playing a mother and son in the film, despite everyone knowing they’re from the same generation. Casting “real” celebrities opposite “real” actors is also problematic, much like the film’s tendency to explore tragic events (notably a succession of deaths) from Roland’s viewpoint, confining us solely to his perspective to the detriment of the film’s other characters, which might prove equally disconcerting for audiences.

Once Upon My Mother was produced by Égerie Productions in co-production with Gaumont. The movie will be released in France on 19 March via Gaumont and in Belgium via Athena.

(Translated from French)