Rémi sans famille

Young orphan Remi (Maleaume Paquin) has never known his parents, having been abandoned as a baby at a Parisian church. Now living with his adoptive mother in rural Chavanon, he is happy to tend to the farm and sing to his cow, Brownie. But hard up for money after an injury on the job, Remi's stonemason father sells him to an artist and showman by the name of Vitalis (Daniel Auteuil). Luckily, Vitalis is a kind soul who wishes to cultivate Remi's beautiful singing voice so the young lad can become part of his traveling street-show, one complete with Captain Capi the showdog and Mr. Pretty-Heart the acrobatic monkey. But though not everybody they encounter is as kind as Vitalis - who has some deeply buried secrets of his own - maybe this journey will lead Remi to the truth about where he came from. Based on Hector Malot's glorious 1878 novel Sans Famille (which has previously been adapted for the screen 10 times, including two Japanese anime series) Rémi, Nobody's Boy is both uplifting and occasionally heartbreaking, anchored by Paquin and Auteuil's open, warm performances. (Seattle International Film Festival)