''La vie promise'' is a 2002 French film directed by

Olivier Dahan Olivier Dahan (; born 26 June 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter. His third directed film, '' La Vie en Rose'', was one of the only French cinema films to win two Academy Awards, including the first acting Oscar in the French lang ...

, written by Olivier Dahan and Agnès Fustier-Dahan, and starring by

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Known for her portrayals of cold, austere women devoid of morality, she is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation. With 16 nominations and two win ...

Pascal Greggory Pascal Greggory (born 8 September 1954) is a French actor. Personal life Greggory is openly gay. He had long-term relationships with Patrice Chéreau and François-Marie Banier. Filmography * '' Les Sœurs Brontë'' (1979) by André Téchiné ...

and

Maud Forget Maud Forget (born May 7, 1982) is a French actress best known for her roles in "Mauvaises fréquentations" (1999, "Bad Company"), and "La vie promise" (2002, "Ghost River"/"The Promised Life") opposite Isabelle Huppert and Pascal Greggory. She ha ...

Main cast

as Sylvia *

as Joshua *

as Laurence *Fabienne Babe as Sandra *

André Marcon André Marcon (born 6 July 1948) is a French actor. In 1980 he starred in '' Le Voyage en douce'' directed by Michel Deville. Selected filmography * '' Le Voyage en douce'' (1980) * '' Stolen Life'' (1998) * '' Peau d'Ange'' (2002) * '' The P ...

as Piotr *

Louis-Do de Lencquesaing Louis-Do de Lencquesaing (born 25 December 1963) is a French actor and film director. He has a daughter with cinematographer Caroline Champetier, the actress Alice de Lencquesaing. Filmography As an actor *''Les dernières heures du milléna ...

as Maquereau 1

Plot

Sylvia, a not-so-young woman, is working as a prostitute in Nice. She has a painful relationship with her daughter, Laurence. When two pimps attack Sylvia in her apartment, Laurence stabs one of them, perhaps fatally, to defend her mother. Sylvia and Laurence go on the run. They begin a journey as hitchhikers, first trying to track down Sylvia's first husband, Piotr, who had a son with her, eight years ago. Sylvia desperately hopes to resume her marriage with Piotr. Sylvia and Laurence cross paths with Joshua, a man out on bail who decides not to return to prison and is trying to avoid the police. Joshua drives off with Sylvia's handbag by mistake. Sylvia and Laurence also separate. Sylvia continues her search for Piotr, occasionally trading sex in exchange for rides, and sometimes on foot to the point of collapse. Sylvia eventually discovers that Piotr has moved from the village where they used to live. After long, painful wanderings, Sylvia, Joshua and Laurence eventually reunite. Sylvia still wants to track down Piotr. A visit to Sylvia's grandparents leads them to the burned-out house where Sylvia once lived with Piotr. Sylvia eventually finds Piotr and her son, but Piotr has found a new, young wife, who is expecting a daughter. Sylvia leaves them to their lives together. She returns to Laurence and Joshua, who has indicated a desire to go his separate way. He does, but returns. Sylvia, Laurence and Joshua leave France together.

External links

* 2002 films 2002 drama films Films directed by Olivier Dahan French drama films 2000s French-language films 2000s French films French-language drama films {{2000s-drama-film-stub

Main cast

Plot

See also

External links