A Better Life

2011 1h 50m FR

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 128

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Yann, a cook, and Nadia, a waitress and mother of 9-year-old child, decide to risk everything on the purchase of a restaurant. With plenty of talent, energy, love and dreams, but no finance of their own, they find themselves forced into a jungle of financing and bank loans that quickly overwhelms them. To bail them out, Nadia has to take a job in Canada, while Yann is forced to stay behind to save the restaurant. Together, he and the child confront a relentless avalanche of creditors, an uncaring system and the daily grind from which there is no respite… Yann finally understands that his only chance of salvation lies in joining his lover – as well as reuniting mother and child – by following Nadia to Canada and a better life.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Guillaume Canet
Yann
Leïla Bekhti
Nadia
Slimane Khettabi
Slimane
Abraham Belaga
Le marchand de sommeil
Nicolas Abraham
L'entrepreneur
François Favrat
Le banquier
Brigitte Sy
La femme bénévole surendettement

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Cédric Kahn
Writers: Cédric Kahn, Catherine Paillé
Languages: French, English
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Cédric Kahn, shot by Pascal Marti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Simon Jacquet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Guillaume Canet and Leïla Bekhti and Slimane Khettabi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2027265 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Cédric Kahn directs. Pascal Marti behind the camera. Simon Jacquet cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 15 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Cédric Kahn, shot by Pascal Marti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Simon Jacquet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Guillaume Canet and Leïla Bekhti and Slimane Khettabi carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt2027265 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.