On Thursday, September 5, the film Other People’s Children makes its debut on Rai 3.
Premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022, the film focuses on the theme of motherhood. Among its leading actors is Chiara Mastroianni (recently seen in Marcello Mio).
Other People’s Children, the plot
While waiting to pick up little Leila from judo practice, Rachel, a forty-year-old teacher, introduces herself to another parent as her stepmother, only to awkwardly correct herself later. Later, when a kind stranger on the train notices the resemblance between her and the girl, Rachel does not bother to clarify, simply accepting the compliment. Her relationship with Leila is both simple and complicated at the same time: she is dating Leila’s father, but the strongest bond is with the little girl. This is what Other People’s Children, the film written and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, tells, with Virginie Efira playing Rachel (Chiara Mastroianni is Alice, Leila’s real mother, editor’s note).
“Life is short and long,” Rachel says at one point in the film, addressing the gynecologist who gently explains that she may not have much time left for a child if she desires one. For Rachel, not having children has never been a problem: she has a job she loves, many hobbies, and a close network of family and friends. However, not being a mother was never a choice. Things simply turned out this way. But, as she approaches her forties, the thought that things could have been different begins to take root.
When she starts dating Ali (Roschdy Zem), a mild-mannered designer, Rachel meets Leila. The man, divorced, has shared custody of his daughter, who is five years old and forms a deep, loving bond with Rachel. But the woman knows that this bond could be broken soon. Her relationship with Ali is not perfect, not even close. And at stake are the pure feelings of a little girl who witnesses the (complicated) lives of adults passing by her.
The cast
The protagonist of Other People’s Children is Virginie Efira, a Belgian actress naturalized French, known for appearing in many romantic comedies. In 2016, her career takes a turn. Virginie stars in the independent drama All the Men of Victoria, which earns her her first César nomination in addition to the Magritte Award. Four more César nominations follow. Her latest film, Nothing to Lose, dates back to 2023.
Alice, Leila’s real mother, is portrayed by Chiara Mastroianni, daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve, nominated for the César for Ma saison préférée.
Finally, Roschdy Zem plays Ali. Winner of the prix d’interprétation masculine at Cannes along with the other stars of Indigènes, he is part of the cast of the Moroccan film Omar m’a tuer, which was proposed in the selection of films nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. In 2020, he won the César for Roubaix, a Light in the Shadows.