Movie preview: La Différence, C’est Que C’est Pas Pareil

By Contributing Writer on Monday, May 11, 2009 - 10:47

Coming soon (May 20^th) to a French movie theater near you is ‘La Différence, C’est Que C’est Pas Pareil’. It’s the story of a man who’s left his entire life, including his children, behind to make his fortune in the United States. He returns fifteen years later, for the christening of his grandson, and to make amends for what he has done. Unfortunately family reunions are always tricky, especially if no one but your oldest daughter knows you’re coming.

‘La Différence, C’est Que C’est Pas Pareil ‘ (‘The difference is that it’s not the same’) is a movie by Pascal Laethier. After various studies in sociology and psychology, Laethier turned to film instead of an office. He’s been heavy on the scene for over thirty year, although most of it has been behind the camera. In the 90’s he released three short films before finally finding the people and finances for ‘La Différence’, a story he’s been wanting to tell for a long time.

The title of the movie comes from Laethier’s quest to establish the father’s role in the life of a child. “I wanted to defend the idea that the father occupies a special place in the life of a child. A place that is not the mother’s. The roles are not interchangeable and indeed, the difference it's not the same.” Laethier explains.

When writing the script, Laethier paid close attention to dialogue. He wanted an accessible movie that felt personal and real. “One of the difficulties of writing the script, was to give equal importance to the three daughters of the family without being superficial or anecdotal.”

And it’s exactly these daughters we’re interested in.

One of Sylvain’s (played by Francois Berleand) daughters is a lesbian who’s in a relationship with young photographer Veronique (played by Karina Testa). “I wanted to define the role of Claire, which is interpreted by Armelle Deutsch, as a young lesbian, without falling back onto old stereotypes about homosexuality.”