I swear it wasn't me!

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Movie
German title I swear it wasn't me!
Original title C'est Pas Moi, Je Le Jure!
Country of production Canada
original language French
Publishing year 2008
length 108 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Philippe Falardeau
script Philippe Falardeau
Bruno Hébert
production Luc Déry
Kim McCraw
music Patrick Watson
camera André Turpin
cut Frederique Broos
occupation

I swear it wasn't me! ( French : C'est Pas Moi, Je Le Jure ) is a Canadian film by director Philippe Falardeau from the year 2008 . The tragicomedy is based on two stories by Bruno Hébert.

The film is set in the 1970s. The 10-year-old León has to cope with the fact that his mother leaves the family in order to live a life without him and his brother in Greece , then a military dictatorship .

action

León is ten years old. In his family, which includes his older brother Jerôme as well as his parents, there are often arguments. His father, a lawyer and a well-known politician, blames León's mother for taking too little care of him and his brother. In contrast to León's unorthodox mother, his father is a tidy fanatic who wants to nip his wife's creativity in the bud. León's relationship with his mother is friendly, but he doesn't get the support he needs from her. For example, she tells him it is better not to lie, but it is worse to lie badly. She also shows solidarity with him when prank, for example when he throws eggs on the roof of the neighboring family by imitating him. Since León does not get the attention he needs, especially from his father, it happens again and again that he does something that draws the attention of adults to him. For example, he steals from the milkman, breaks into the neighbors' house when they are on vacation, causes destruction there and even urinates in the closet. He even tries to kill himself several times. He also tries to end a particularly bad argument between the parents by lighting a fire on their bed. He explains from the off why he started this fire: "Like the Indians who started fires at strategic points to end a dispute."

When the children's fears that their parents might get divorced come true and the mother leaves her family to live in Greece in the future, León's world collapses completely. The pranks he plays on what he thinks are intact neighbors who start a camping holiday together are getting even worse. He meets with Lea, a neighbor's daughter who like him does not travel, and realizes that she too has significant problems. Since her father disappeared years ago, she has been beaten again and again by her uncle. Since Lea doesn't really know what to do with León's feelings towards her, she replies succinctly when he confesses his love for her that she also loves each other. When León and Lea's attempt to flee to Greece fails, a psychologist insists that the children should no longer see each other.

For every day that his mother is not with him, León puts a stone on a table in his room. After a self-inflicted accident on a bowling alley, released from the hospital, León speaks directly to the audience for the first time. His closing sentence is: “Life is not made for me, but I am made for life. I'm waiting for my mom, a little. A little, all my life. "

background

I swear it wasn't me! was produced by Micro Scope and distributed by Christal Films. The film premiered on September 26, 2008 in Québec . It was released on DVD on May 12, 2009.

The tragicomedy was also shown at the 21st International Children's Film Festival 2009.

The film is consistently told from León's point of view. His voice, which can be heard from the background, reports in a chain of thoughts what is happening in him, whereby he becomes concrete now and then. It is only towards the end of the film that he is able to speak unequivocally about what he is feeling. Now he looks directly at the viewer and his voice no longer comes from off.

criticism

Ulrike Seyffarth, KinderJugend-Film Korrespondenz, was of the opinion that “ I swear it wasn't me! to entertain in the best way "understand. "This is thanks to the brilliant teamwork of his young actors as well as an original script with strong characters and fresh images that implement the cryptic humor."

In the Berliner Morgenpost , 12-year-old Kaja Klapsa said: “ I swear, it wasn't me! showed me a part of real life that I had never been aware of. It's not your typical children's movie that is just for entertainment. This film has a sad and difficult subject, but because it also has a lot of humor, it is an interesting and unusual film for children from the age of eleven. "

In the film data sheet of the Berlinale you can read what the director Philippe Falardeau had to say about the film: “I was touched by the main character's humor, the worldview of a sensitive child who describes his own mental breakdown. I imagined a child taking their fate into their own hands instead of accepting everything. Unloved children suffer, but Leon is involved in his misfortune and takes responsibility for it. Leon's story gives a deep insight into the child's soul, told from the perspective of an adult. "

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b Ulrike Seyffarth: I swear it wasn't me Interview - I really learned a lot in the Generation section and I'm very grateful for that! KJK 118-2 / 2009 at kjk-muenchen.de. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  2. C'est pas moi, je le jure! at cinoche.com. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  3. a b I swear it wasn't me ( C'est pas moi, je le jure! ) ( Memento of the original from April 22, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 779 kB) at kinderfilmfestival.at. Retrieved November 26, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kinderfilmfestival.at
  4. I swear it wasn't me! In: Berliner Morgenpost / Kinderpost, February 7, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  5. ^ Philippe Falardeau: C'est pas moi, je le jure! (I swear it wasn't me!) At berlinale.de. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  6. Glass bears for I swear it wasn't me! and My Suicide at kinofenser.de, February 14, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  7. ^ Berlinale 2009 - All winners at critic.de, February 15, 2009. Accessed November 26, 2013.