A Missing Part
2024 Belgian-French film by Guillaume Senez
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A Missing Part (French: Une part manquante) is a 2024 Belgian-French drama film directed by Guillaume Senez. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2024.
- Guillaume Senez
- Jean Denizot
| A Missing Part | |
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French theatrical release poster | |
| French | Une part manquante |
| Directed by | Guillaume Senez |
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| Produced by | |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Elin Kirschfink |
| Edited by | Julie Brenta |
| Music by | Olivier Marguerit |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
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Premise
Having lost custody of his half-Japanese daughter after a divorce, a French taxi driver in Tokyo spends his days looking for her. When she finally enters his taxi, she does not recognize him.
Cast
- Romain Duris as Jay
- Judith Chemla as Jessica
- Mei Cirne-Masuki as Lily
- Tsuyu
- Shungiku Uchida
- Yumi Narita as Keiko
- Patrick Descamps
- Shinnosuke Abe
Production
Director Guillaume Senez was inspired to write the film after learning about post-divorce parental custody rights in Japan.[1][2] To aid in their research, Senez and actor Romain Duris met with three French nationals who lost custody of their children under to Japanese law.[3]
Principal photography began in October 2023. Filming locations included Tokyo, Sagami Bay, and Yokohama.[4][5]
Release
A clip from the film was released on 6 September 2024.[3] The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2024.[6] It received a theatrical release in France on 13 November 2024.[3]
The film closed the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on 15 February 2025.[7]
Reception
David Opie of IndieWire gave the film a grade of B+, writing, "This often quiet, thoughtful story of a man who's incomplete reminds us to keep fighting for the part that's missing, whether that be striving for change or even just existing to fight another day."[8]
Louis Roberts of Loud and Clear Reviews rated the film four stars out of five and wrote: "Serez's film raises questions that go beyond mere legislation, interrogating the attitudes that make up a country's social fabric. That he manages to achieve such ambitions without sacrificing the movie's intimacy speaks volumes about his craftsmanship."[9]
Aurore Engelen of Cineuropa wrote: "Buoyed by a super-efficient screenplay, composed of little nothings which result in this impossible encounter, taking a chiaro-scuro path towards a resolution that's as luminous as it is doomed from the outset, A Missing Part explores both a father’s obsession and the irreconcilable otherness of a foreigner or stranger."[10]
Paul Enicola of The Asian Cut complimented Senez's direction in portraying a "deglamorized Tokyo...allowing the city to emerge as a character in its own right. And with the urban landscape mirroring Jay's estrangement and alienation, the film [emphasizes] his growing sense of disconnect from a world that has always felt foreign to him."[11]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magritte Awards | 22 February 2025 | Best Film | Nominated | [12] | |
| Best Sound | Nicolas Paturle, Virginie Messiaen, Franco Piscopo, and Olivier Thys | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Julie Lebrun | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Julie Brenta | Nominated | |||
