La Mif

The Fam
“Who are you?” – “The queen of punks, in the land of pain in the ass.”

Seven girls live under the same roof but haven’t chosen each other, just like a family. Emerging from difficult backgrounds, here in the safe house, the girls find a new community, in a way they’d never experienced before. They are sharing joy and pain, passionately rebel against the shortcomings of their surrounding – the young women’s temperaments are different, their lust for life large, their place in society too precarious for things to be all peace, love and harmony. Home director Lora is always there for them when­­­­­ they need her. Or is it the other way around? La Mif was created in close collaboration with the young actresses, who were involved in developing their characters. Each individual fate is a shard and together they form an iridescent kaleidoscope capable of upending hierarchies. The film sensitively reveals the imperfection of the youth protection system, as well as the fragility of social structures and tenderly questions, what it might actually mean to be part of a family.
by Fred Baillif
with Claudia Grob, Anaïs Uldry, Kassia Da Costa, Joyce Esther Ndayisenga, Charlie Areddy, Amélie Tonsi, Amandine Golay, Sara Tulu, Nadim Ahmed, Isabel De Abreu Cannavo
Switzerland 2021 French, Portuguese 111’ Colour recommendation: 14 years and up

Part of the Berlinale Summer Special

With

  • Claudia Grob (Lora)
  • Anaïs Uldry (Audrey)
  • Kassia Da Costa (Novinha)
  • Joyce Esther Ndayisenga (Précieuse)
  • Charlie Areddy (Justine)
  • Amélie Tonsi (Alison)
  • Amandine Golay (Caroline)
  • Sara Tulu (Tamra)
  • Nadim Ahmed (Malik)
  • Isabel De Abreu Cannavo (Suzana)

Crew

Written and Directed by Fred Baillif
Cinematography Joseph Areddy
Editing Fred Baillif
Sound Design Maxence Ciekawy
Sound Samuel Levy
Costumes Lucy Mann
Assistant Director Jeremy Rieder
Production Managers Véronique Vergari, Agnes Boutruche
Producer Fred Baillif
Executive Producer Fred Baillif

Fred Baillif

Growing up in Switzerland, he had a seven-year career as a professional basketball player before studying social work and working in a youth detention centre. He then moved to New York and was a PA on the documentary series The It Factor during the day while DJ’ing at night. After returning to Switzerland, he made his first documentary, Sideman. Working as a street social worker, he found the protagonists for his next documentary, Geisendorf, which won several awards. In 2010, he made his first fiction feature film with Tapis rouge. Baillif has developed his own technique for directing non-professional actors.

Filmography

2003 Sideman; documentary 2006 Geisendorf; documentary 2008 Le fond et la forme (The Subject And The How); documentary 2009 La vie en deux (All By Myself); TV documentary 2011 Believers: Who’s Back?; TV documentary 2013 Tant qu’il pleut en Amérique (As Long As It Rains In America); documentary 2014 Une douche contre la misère; TV documentary · Fraude aux douanes; TV documentary 2015 Tapis rouge 2017 Un canapé pour deux; TV documentary · Né pour mourir; short film 2019 Edelweiss Revolution 2021 La Mif (The Fam)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2021