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‘Ma Frère’ Opens Jan. 7, Built Around 18 First‑Time Child Actors

The directors apply year‑long wild casting with earpiece direction to capture authentic voices from disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Overview

  • The feature follows a summer colony in the Drôme where two young animators oversee a group of children from underserved Paris neighborhoods.
  • Akoka and Gueret spent a year seeing roughly 1,500 kids to assemble an ensemble of 18 non‑professional child performers.
  • The filmmakers directed actors via earpieces after extensive improvisation workshops, recording marathon takes of about 40 minutes and relying heavily on editing.
  • Production adapted to child‑welfare rules with limited working hours, staggered schedules, and a real on‑set colony offering supervised activities when kids were off camera.
  • The cast blends newcomers with professionals, including Amel Bent in a major role alongside Shirel Nataf, Fanta Kebe, Idir Azougli and Suzanne de Baecque, as early reviews praise the authentic performances and note reservations about the film’s calculated structure.