Crowned with a César for Roubaix, a light then president of the academy and lately on the poster of Other people’s children by Rebecca Zlotowski with Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem has established himself as one of the key actors in French cinema. He went back behind the camera to Mine, a feature film he co-wrote with Maïwenn. The two artists confided in a duo for the magazine Sheand the actor-filmmaker discusses his ties with his family, and in particular his children.
In Mine, the modest Roschdy Zem exposes his family to tell his story and theirs. It is not a question of settling scores but of a declaration of love. His film looks back at the accident of his older brother who, after a fall, lost his memory and changed character, becoming completely unfiltered. Enough to completely upset the links and relationships between each member. When he attended the screening, his eldest was very moved, crying from the first minutes: “With this accident, he lost a lot: his job, his wife, the bond with his children. He found himself totally isolated. (…) He found a job, a fiancée, he even wrote a beautiful book, The lost steps [éditions JC Lattès].”
His two children, Nina, 24, and Chad, 19, whose mother’s name is Nicole and to whom he was married for more than fifteen years, have also seen their dad’s work. In Shethe artist reveals a particular information about Nina: “They were very moved, especially since my daughter has a small role, she plays my niece” What make her want to become an actress? Obviously, she chose another path: “Like her mother, she studied psychology.”
They don’t give me presents
A loving but honest dad, he admits he doesn’t always have an easy role: “My daughter and my son are not that indulgent towards me. Sometimes I feel like an old nerd in their eyes and they don’t give me any presents. One day, my son took me out: Listen, the roles of cops, there, stop. Well, I didn’t quite listen to it because I shot in Roubaix, a lightbut with Desplechin it was different.” Proud of his offspring, he is full of praise for what they bring him: “I find my children audacious, intelligent, I like what they are so their opinion interests me. I go towards more vulnerable, more sensitive characters while thinking of them.“
Find the full interview in the magazine She from November 17, 2022