A Loving Father (2002) Aime ton père (original title)

Director:

Jacob Berger

Writers:

Jacob Berger
Ed Radtke
(more)

Release Date:

13 November 2002 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

While the whole world thinks writer Léo Shepherd is dead, he is kidnapped by his son Paul.

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Leo Shepherd
Guillaume Depardieu	...	Paul
Sylvie Testud	...	Virginia
Julien Boisselier	...	Arthur
Noémie Kocher	...	Marthe
Hiam Abbass	...	Salma
Frédéric Polier	...	Andre
Pierre-Alexandre Crevaux	...	Paul, Age 8
Pippa Schallier	...	Virginia, Age 11
Johanna Mohs	...	Pippi
Jacques Frantz	...	Antoine Levy
Sten Eirik	...	Sven Boland
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Karina Aktouf	...	Paul's fiancee
Roberto Bestazzoni	...	Policeman
Manuela Biedermann	...	Hospital nurse
Marc Brunet	...	Policeman
Jonas Finlay	...	Ship's officer
Martin Forsström	...	Sailor
Cory Hogan	...	Eskimo child
Robert Jadah	...	Stockholm usher
Stefan Kollmuss	...	Swiss Gendarme
Ulla-Carin Lindquist	...	Lotta Nielsen
Elisabeth Niederer	...	Dead woman
Johan Paulsen	...	Ship's Doctor
Manuel Tadros	...	M. Azouz
Richard Ulfsäter	...	Sailor
Urs-Peter Wolters	...	Hospital doctor
Gregory Terlecki	...	Nobel prize dignitary (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacob Berger

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pascal Barollier
Jacob Berger
Ed Radtke

Produced by
Patrick Bordier	....	executive producer
Michael Cowan	....	co-executive producer (as Michael Lionello Cowan)
Gérard Depardieu	....	producer
Jean-Pierre Guérin	....	producer
Claude Léger	....	co-producer
Alex Marshall	....	associate producer
Jason Piette	....	co-executive producer
David Rogers	....	co-executive producer
Hamish Skeggs	....	line producer: UK
Jonathan Vanger	....	co-producer
Ruth Waldburger	....	co-producer
Clive Waldron	....	associate producer: UK

Original Music by
Jean-Claude Petit

Cinematography by
Pascal Marti

Film Editing by
Cathy Chamorey

Casting by
Nicolas Ronchi

Production Design by
Pierre Allard
Kay Brown
Ivan Niclass

Art Direction by
Kay Brown

Set Decoration by
Nadine Petit Clerc

Costume Design by
Suzie Harman
Kay Nigg-Devanthey		(as Kay Devanthey)

Makeup Department
Fabrice Herbet	....	special makeup effects artist
Gaétan Landry	....	hair stylist
Joan Patricia Parris	....	makeup artist: Canada

Production Management
Thierry Bettas-Bégalin	....	production supervisor
Daniel Boudreau	....	assistant unit manager
Fabrice Gasser	....	assistant unit manager
Ginette Guillard	....	production manager
Paul Hart-Wilden	....	unit production manager: UK
Serge Musy	....	unit manager trainee

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerome Franc	....	third assistant director: UK
Fabrice Grange	....	first assistant director
Julien Greco	....	assistant director trainee
Janine Law	....	second assistant director: UK

Art Department
Dion Boothby	....	set dresser
Loïc Cascarino	....	property master
Andrea Christelis	....	assistant art director
Michel Doré	....	storyboard artist
Johnny Hawkins	....	production buyer

Sound Department
Howard Bargroff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Howard Bargroff	....	sound
Ben Barker	....	foley editor
Steve Cook	....	sound supervisor: UK
Colin Cooper	....	adr recordist
Max Hoskins	....	supervising sound editor
Jean-Paul Mugel	....	sound
Yves-Marie Omnes	....	boom operator
Kath Pollard	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Ben Wilkins	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Pierre Riverin	....	special effects technician
Antonio Vidosa	....	special effects foreman
Martin Williams	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Frederic Moreau	....	visual effects

Stunts
Alain Bour	....	stunt driver
Jean Brucy	....	stunt driver
Rémi Canaple	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Mike Chute	....	stunt double: Gerard Depardieu
Philipe Dailler	....	stunt driver
Ludovic Dodot	....	stunt driver
Jean-louis Dos Santos	....	stunt driver
Yan Dron	....	stunts
Cyrille Dufaut	....	stunt driver
Guy Dupuis	....	stunt driver
Alexandrine Felquin	....	stunts
Sébastien Lagniez	....	stunt driver
Stéphane Lefebvre	....	stunt coordinator
Bruno Letroult	....	stunt driver (as Bruno Letrouit)
Pascal Roblin	....	stunt driver
Romain Iannetta	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roch Boucher	....	second assistant camera
Riccardo Brunner	....	steadicam operator
Ciro Candia	....	second assistant camera: UK
Andre Chemetoff	....	second assistant camera
Nicolas Deblonde	....	assistant camera
Mark Evans	....	gaffer: UK
Francine Filatriau	....	assistant camera
Francine Filatriau	....	camera operator
Antonin Gendre	....	key grip
Colin Houben	....	assistant camera
Agnès Letessier	....	assistant camera
Estelle Marcoux	....	trainee camera: Montréal
Christian Navennec	....	first assistant camera: Canada
Mario Radinovic	....	video operator
Brent Robinson	....	underwater first assistant camera
Virginie Trottet	....	camera trainee: combo
John Ward	....	Steadicam operator: UK

Casting Department
Elsa Pharaon	....	casting: children
Isabelle Vossart	....	additional casting

Editorial Department
Floriane Allier	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Paul Lavergne	....	music producer

Transportation Department
Luc Bouthillier	....	driver
Richard Chabot	....	driver: cast
Réal Hamel	....	picture car coordinator
Andrée Roy	....	driver (as Andree Roy)

Other crew
Maria Apps	....	runner: UK
Véronique Arcouette	....	second set production assistant
Guy Aumond	....	production accountant
Shirine Best	....	development assistant
Daniel Boudreau	....	set production assistant
Emmanuel Béhier Migeon	....	underwater unit
Ruth Charest	....	coordinator
Michael Goring	....	runner: UK
Mel Hider	....	assistant: Mr. Cowan and Mr. Piette
Hugh Ip	....	production coordinator: UK
Lucile Joly	....	production assistant
Emily Kyriakides	....	assistant: Mr. Cowan and Mr. Piette
Francois Larose	....	set runner
Lucy Shuttleworth	....	development executive
Benoit Thériault	....	production assistant
Geoff Weate	....	runner: UK

Production Companies

• Canal+
• DD Productions
• Enterprise Films
• France 3 Cinéma
• GMT Productions
• Great British Films
• Rhône-Alpes Cinéma
• Spice Factory
• Transfilm
• Télévision Suisse-Romande (TSR)
• Vega Film

Distributors

• Vega Distribution (2002-2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• TLA Releasing (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (France)

Special Effects

• Duran

Other Companies

• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  film score recording

Also Known As:

"Aime ton père" - France (original title)
"Honor Your Father" - Philippines (English title)

Runtime:

103 min (Locarno Film Festival)

Country:

France | Canada | UK | Switzerland

Language:

French | English | Swedish

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

France:U | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Australia:MA | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Bienne, Kanton Bern, Switzerland

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

The ferry scenes were actually shot on the Isle of Wight ferry England.

Disappointed

I am usually not so strict and judgmental in my comments however I must say that, besides being a rather dramatic example of a spoiled father-son relationship, I have found this movie to be long and extremely empty in its plot.

Its cold strokes remind me a lot of Chabrol's "Merci pour le Chocolat", with Isabelle Huppert and Jacques Dutronc. I must say that, although I am a Depardieu's fan in most cases, Aime Ton Pere has left me empty handed at the end of the tape. I can't really say much about Guillame Depardieu, given the movie's lack of plot and spinal cord and the fact that I haven't had a chance to analyze his other performances. I can already say though that he belongs to a different breed of actors than the one Gerard comes from. If you care to see a cold and cynical Depardieu senior in a true quality performance, 36 Quai des Orferves will keep you on your toes.