All Is Forgiven (2007) 2021

Victor, portrayed by Paul Blain, is a French national residing in Austria with his wife, Annette, and their young daughter, Pamela. Struggling with a lack of direction, Victor finds himself working sporadically as both a teacher and a writer. Unfortunately, he begins to spiral downwards, turning to drug use and alcohol to cope with his feelings of inadequacy. In a desperate attempt to help him, Annette relocates to Paris, hoping that this change will lift Victor out of his deepening depression. Yet, his dependency only worsens, leading to abusive behavior that strains their relationship beyond repair.

As their marriage crumbles, Victor embarks on a tumultuous affair with Gisèle, a fellow addict. The gravity of his actions hits him when Gisèle overdoses, an incident that finally pushes Victor towards seeking rehabilitation. During one of Annette’s visits to the rehab facility, she heartbreakingly admits that she cannot forgive him for his past transgressions and reveals her intention to take Pamela to Caracas, urging him to sever all ties with them.

Fast forward eleven years, Pamela receives an unexpected message from her aunt, Martine. Despite her mother’s objections, she reaches out and discovers that her father has remained in Paris, cut off from her life due to her mother’s firm stance.

Pamela and Victor manage to reconnect on a few occasions, but just as their relationship begins to blossom, tragedy strikes. Victor passes away unexpectedly while Pamela is away on vacation. In a poignant farewell, his final letter to her contains several heartfelt poems, one of which is in German. Later, she translates it for her friend, revealing a touching exploration of themes centered around loss and rebirth, underlining the complexity of their fractured familial bonds.