French filmmaker Jean Boiron-Lajous’s documentary Abysses and Wonders is a semi-autobiographical road movie set across the French countryside. The film had its world premiere in the Opus Bonum main competition at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, where it picked up a Special Mention and the Best Editing Award for Xavier Sirven (see the news).

Boiron-Lajous and his friend Christine set out on a journey so that Christine can locate a letter her father left behind when he died, shortly after she turned five. Both share a history marked by family trauma: Boiron-Lajous’s father took his own life when he was a child, while Christine grew up with an abusive mother. The director has in his possession a letter written by his father before his death, yet he cannot bring himself to read it. Christine, meanwhile, searches for the missive from her own dad while avoiding contact with her mother. The film shares its title with the letter written by Boiron-Lajous’s father and alludes to its thematic core: intergenerational trauma and the complexities of parent-child relationships.

What begins as a road movie about two old friends confronting their pasts gradually evolves into an impromptu therapy session. The documentary unfolds as a candid exchange between friends, marked by immediacy and emotional proximity. Through this dynamic, Boiron-Lajous captures moments of self-reflection and shared vulnerability, turning the film into a form of collaborative self-exploration that retains a raw, independent sensibility.

Boiron-Lajous takes on multiple roles – documentarian, narrator and friend – as he follows Christine on her quest to retrieve her father’s letter. Abysses and Wonders initially carries the tone of an unhurried summer journey, slowly shifting towards a more confessional mode as Christine opens up about her memories and their consequences. Along the way, the pair meet friends, discuss family, and experience moments of setback and humour, such as a broken-down car and an unplanned night at a campsite. The shift in tone from light-hearted travelogue to personal essay is gradual yet cohesive.

As the film progresses, the camera’s perspective reverses. When Christine turns the lens on Boiron-Lajous, his story takes centre stage, and the dialogue becomes reciprocal. What begins as a conversation led by the filmmaker transforms into a two-way exchange, with Christine assuming the role of narrator as they uncover mirrored experiences and shared emotional patterns. Boiron-Lajous ceases to be merely the observer and becomes a subject within his own film.

The tone throughout remains conversational and unforced. The proximity between the two friends creates a sense of intimacy conducive to self-examination. Christine often addresses the camera directly, which heightens the sense of personal perspective and immediacy, even during moments of confrontation. Structurally, the film takes on the form of a diary, interspersed with voice-over reflections from both protagonists.

Despite its difficult themes, Abysses and Wonders steers clear of bleakness. It unfolds with a sense of lightness and ironic humour typical of its two central figures. Boiron-Lajous employs brisk pacing and a narrative rhythm of fiction storytelling, allowing the documentary to move fluidly while pausing only briefly on painful recollections. In addition to the first-person perspective, the film incorporates staged sequences with subtle comedic undertones, creating recurring motifs that echo moments from both their lives.

Abysses and Wonders is intimate yet unembellished, a little punk road movie that merges the dynamics of a buddy film with a documentary confessional. It reflects on intergenerational trauma and unresolved family legacies, tracing how unacknowledged grief can persist until confronted and shared with others.

Abysses and Wonders was produced by France’s Les Alchimistes and Lyon Capitale TV.