Qui brille au combat marks Joséphine Japy's directorial debut, also co-written with Olivier Torres. This intimate family drama follows the Roussier family, weakened by the disability of their youngest daughter, Bertille. Featuring a cast led by Mélanie Laurent, Angélina Woreth, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, and Sarah Pachoud, the film was presented in a Special Screening at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival before its French theatrical release on December 31, 2025, distributed by Apollo Films.
The title refers to the etymological meaning of the name Bertille, "she who shines in battle." Suffering from a severe disability with an uncertain diagnosis, the youngest daughter monopolizes the care, time, and attention of the entire family. Her parents, Madeleine and Gilles, and her older sister Marion live in a precarious balance, where each day is punctuated by medical uncertainties and the constant fear of losing their child. Each of them tries to build a life for themselves, as best they can, under the weight of these responsibilities.
For Marion, a teenager who has grown up too quickly, her relationship with her sister and parents redefines her choices, her desires, and her plans for the future. Her parents, meanwhile, see their daily lives, intimacy, and future prospects constantly revisited in the light of illness. When a new diagnosis arises, the family dynamic is reshaped: reference points waver, the cards are reshuffled, and a new horizon emerges, forcing everyone to rethink their place and their way of loving.
Each film selected for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival is part of the mosaic of stories showcased on the Croisette, and the Special Screenings offer a privileged space for intimate or unique films. Joséphine Japy's film Qui Brille au Combat, in the running for the Caméra d'Or as the French actress's first feature film, is part of this tradition, with a cast including Angélina Woreth, Mélanie Laurent, and Pierre-Yves Cardinal.
The project draws on personal material: the film is inspired by the story of Joséphine Japy's own sister, also named Bertille, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder, Phelan-McDermid syndrome. This autobiographical dimension informs the portrait of the Roussier family, while retaining a fictional narrative. Produced by Cowboys Films, in co-production with The Man and France 3 Cinéma, the feature film was shot in the fall of 2024 in the south of France, between September 18 and October 30, before being presented at several international festivals, including Angoulême, Hamburg, and Mar del Plata.
The film also allows the director to reunite with some of her collaborators and performers. Mélanie Laurent, who directed her in Respire, this time steps in front of the camera, while cinematographer Romain Carcanade, recently seen on the series Tapie, is responsible for the visuals. The cast also includes actors from the Comédie-Française, such as Stéphane Varupenne and Birane Ba, alongside Sarah Pachoud, Félix Kysyl, Anne Loiret, and Thomas Gioria, helping to anchor the film in a very embodied performance.
Qui brille au combat is aimed at audiences who are sensitive to family dramas and introspective stories centered on illness and responsibility. In terms of its themes, the film may evoke works such as La Famille Bélier or Tout s'est bien passé, while also fitting into a broader lineage of intimate portraits such as Richard Linklater's Boyhood or Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird, according to references cited by the director. Viewers looking for lighthearted stories or purely escapist entertainment, on the other hand, may find the film more emotionally demanding.
Qui brille au combat
Film | 2025
Theatrical release: December 31, 2025
Drama | Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes
By Joséphine Japy | Starring Mélanie Laurent, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Angélina Woreth, Sarah Pachoud
Nationality: France
With this first feature film, Joséphine Japy offers a deeply human story about how a family comes together around a vulnerable child. Combining intimate moments, autobiographical elements, and sensitive performances, Qui brille au combat explores the effects of disability on a couple, siblings, and the transition to adulthood, in a broad and introspective drama.
To extend your theater experience, check out December's new movie releases, films to see right now, and our selection of the year's best dramas.
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