La Famille Wolberg (The Wolberg Family) (2009) directed by Axelle Ropert

Olivier Père selected Axelle Ropert as one of the best emerging film directors working today and chose the film La Famille Wolberg (The Wolberg Family) as an example that best represents her work.

La Famille Wolberg (The Wolberg Family) (2009):
Simon Wolberg (François Damiens) can make an amazing speech on American soul music to astounded schoolkids and can get his eighteen-year-old daughter to swear that she will never, ever leave home. He is the mayor of a small provincial town who meddles in the private lives of his fellow citizens. He’s madly in love with his wife, Marianne (Valérie Benguigui), but is also an invasive father and a provocative son driven by his obsession with his family. It causes him to scrutinize their bonds, putting their strength and fragility to the test.

"Ropert’s film combines intelligence and passion in equal parts. A sensitive reworking of the family melodrama, it is stylized and antinaturalist, demonstrating a confident grasp of dialogue and a great skill in handling actors. Ropert’s filmmaking is elegant and discreet, with dialogue that is carefully written, almost literary, in contrast to the type of realism found in many French films that tries to present itself as natural speech."
Olivier Pére, Artistic Director, Locarno Film Festival