French Friday Movie
Join us on 20 FEBRUARY 2026
for
Once Upon My Mother
(Ma Mere, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan)
6pm Little French market
7pm movie screening
VMAX Cinema, Event cinemas kotara
COMEDY/drama / FRANCE / CANADA / 2024 / 102 MINS / G
In French with English subtitles
Directed by: Ken Scott
Starring: Leïla Bekhti, Jonathan Cohen, Joséphine Japy, Sylvie Vartan
Based on the bestselling autobiography by Roland Perez, this exuberant and heartrending film pays tribute to a love like no other –
a mother’s love for her child.
In 1963, Roland is born to Esther, her sixth child in their close-knit family living in
the Parisian suburbs. When Esther learns that Roland has been born with a club foot, she vows to ensure her
son lives not just a normal life, but a fabulous one. She enlists the help of a determined specialist and the pop songs
of Sylvie Vartan (who makes a cameo in the film) to help Roland defy all expectations and learn to walk.
This joyful crowd-pleaser is vibrantly shot by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman (The Artist) and features a
powerhouse performance from Leïla Bekhti (Paris, je t’aime) as the fiercely devoted Esther. The film
absolutely smashed the French box office, counting over 1.5 million admissions.
Contact us
contact@afnewcastle.com.au
Please note that there are no office hours.
Alliance Française de Newcastle
63 Scott Street, Newcastle, NSW 2300
Completely accessible
Tramway Stop "Newcastle Beach"
Postal
PO Box 505
Jesmond, NSW 2299
We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which the Alliance Française de Newcastle stands and remind people that
we live and work on Aboriginal land.
We pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging.