Click here to see the extended English trailer.

Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 10 Nov only

Jalil Lespert / France/Belgium / 2011 / 91 min

At times overly sentimental and cheaply dramatic, Headwinds is at first glance a simple drama charting the emotional trajectory of Paul (Benoît Magimel) as he comes to terms with his wife’s (Audrey Tautou) sudden disappearance. Left as the sole carer for his two young children, Paul must adjust to his newly enforced life as a single parent, all the while haunted by his wife’s memory and shocking void in his life.

The main dramatic tension becomes the pull between moving on and looking back, whilst maintaining normality for the children. A typical story for a female protagonist, but with a male protagonist, it shines. The direction from Jalil Lespert is for the most part clean and unassuming, putting the focus on an intensely character driven piece. Yet while tragic in subject matter, its sentimentality is overstated. What earns Headwinds its praise is its concentration on the fresh angle of the single father. It is a male-centred film, yet unrecognisably so. The portraits of the men – fathers and husbands – stray far from the stereotypical masculine roles. We see men broken down, attempting to cope with the loss of the women in their lives. The result is seen in the stark and genuine performances from the protagonists, bringing with it a considered evaluation of the male role in society.

Showing as part of the French Film Festival UK 2012.