ONCE UPON MY MOTHER

(Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan)

West Coast Premiere | France | 2025 | Comedy, Drama | 102 min | In French with English subtitles

Directed by: Ken Scott
Written by: Ken Scott
Based on the Book by: Roland Perez
Produced by: Sophie Tepper (Égérie Productions), Sidonie Dumas (Gaumont), Christian Larouche (Christal Films), Amazon MGM studios
Cinematography: Guillaume Schiffman
Original Score: Nicolas Errèra
Film Editing: Dorian Rigal-Ansous, Yvann Thibaudeau
Cast: Leïla Bekhti (Esther Perez), Jonathan Cohen (Roland Perez), Joséphine Japy (Litzie Gozlan), Sylvie Vartan (herself), Jeanne Balibar (Mrs Fleury), Naim Naji (Roland Perez, 5-7 years old), Lionel Dray (Maklouf Perez), Milo Machado-Graner (Roland Perez, 12-15 years old), Anne Le Ny (Mrs. Vergepoche)
International Sales: Gaumont
US Distributor: Menemsha Films
US Release Date: TBA

Synopsis

Adapted from Roland Perez’s autobiographical novel Ma mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan, Ken Scott‘s 2025 French box-office mega-hit tells the story of an unrelenting Sephardic Jewish mother who, against all odds, is fiercely determined to move mountains to assure that her youngest son will lead the fullest of lives, despite his handicap. Spanning decades of challenges and both major and minor “miracles”, the heart-rending tale focuses on one man’s incredible journey and the greatest of loves. As Rudyard Kipling once said, “God could not be everywhere, therefore he made mothers.”

Director’s biography

A native of Quebec, Ken Scott first made a name for himself as the screenwriter of Jean-François Pouliot‘s Seducing Doctor Lewis, which premiered in the 2003 Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. That was followed by Charles Binamé’s The Rocket (2005). Both scripts were nominated for Genie Awards for Best Original Screenplay. In 2009, he moved into the director’s chair with Sticky Fingers (2009). His second directorial feature, Starbuck (2012), finally won him and co-writer Martin Petit that Best Original Screenplay Genie, and racked up a slew of prizes and nominations at film festivals the world over — in Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Toronto, Valladolid, Vancouver and the Alpe d’Huez Comedy Film Festival. His subsequent films include Delivery Man (2013); Unfinished Business (2015); The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (2018), which nabbed the Audience Award at the Barcelona-Sant Jordi Film Festival; and Goodbye Happiness (2021), which won the Public Prize at La Gala Quebec Cinema.