COPACABANA

Synopsis

A poignant yet comedic tale set in Belgium. Isabelle Huppert shines in this unusual role as Babou, a charmingly eccentric lady whose love of exuberant Brazilian music (hence the film's title) is at odds with the straitlaced dullness of Belgium. Her daughter Esmerelda (Lolita Chammas) is quite the opposite, dissolving into a lather of embarrassment whenever her mother's around. Matters come to a head when Esmerelda forbids her mother to attend her imminent thoroughly conventional wedding to a rather dull executive type. Devastated and determined to win Esmerelda over, Babou flees to the grim northern city of Ostend where she has found a job selling timeshare flats to tourists. A new life beckons and Babou's effervescent nature flourishes amidst the bleak streets of the port city. Will she be able to reconcile with her daughter? This charming, bittersweet tale blends humour with very real pathos in the central characters played by real-life mother and daughter Huppert and Chammas.

Genre

Family, Comedy, Drama

Cast & Credits

• Director:  Marc Fitoussi
• Producer:  Caroline Bonmarchand
• Scriptwriter:  Marc Fitoussi
• Cinematographer:  Hélène Louvart
• Editor:  Martine Giordano
• Composer:  Sean O'Hagan, Tim Gane
• Cast (in alphabetical order):  Aure Atika, Isabelle Huppert, Lolita Chammah