Brother and Sister

A renowned actress whose success intensifies tensions with her brother Louis. Her relationship with Louis is shaped by past publication betrayals and a marriage to André, which becomes a flashpoint for family conflict. She performs on stage, grapples with manipulation and independence, and ultimately relocates to Benin, signaling a drastic change in life direction.

A writer whose estrangement from Alice spans years and whose creative ambitious strains family ties. He returns to Lille and tends to the ailing parents while wrestling with guilt, regret, and longing. A recurring pattern of hurtful behavior and later remorse marks his arc, culminating in a precarious reconciliation that remains unresolved.

The younger Vuillard who appears as a bridge between generations. He accompanies family members through tragedy and delivers messages, symbolizing continuity amid upheaval. His presence, and his relationship with his partner Simon, grounds the narrative in the next generation’s concerns and hopes.

Louis and Alice’s relative whose car accident and subsequent events propel the plot forward. He represents a more practical, lived-in side of family life, intersecting with the drama surrounding illness, travel, and the accident that reshapes the family’s future.

A Romanian immigrant living in a shelter who interacts with Alice and embodies themes of displacement, resilience, and vulnerability. Lucia’s encounter with Alice illuminates class and survival dynamics, and she becomes a conduit for truth-telling about past actions within the family.

Alice’s husband and a long-time friend of Louis who complicates loyalties within the family. His presence ties together years of friendship and rivalry, contributing to the moral ambiguities that drive the plot’s tensions.

The mother whose illness and eventual death anchor the family’s emotional arc. Her passing catalyzes shifts in responsibility and care among Louis, Abel, and Fidèle, underscoring the film’s meditation on aging and memory.

Louis’s partner, who travels to Lille for the funerals and becomes part of the caregiving and emotional reorganization that follows Marie-Louise’s death. Her presence highlights themes of companionship, support, and shifting family dynamics.