Café de Flore (2011)

In an evocative exploration of love, Café de Flore weaves together two seemingly disparate tales of passion that are bound by profound and mysterious connections. Set against the vibrant backdrops of 1960s Paris and present-day Montreal, these narratives chronicle the euphoric, obsessive, and ultimately timeless nature of love. In the bustling city of Montreal, Antoine Godin, a successful DJ, navigates the complexities of love and happiness. Despite his thriving career, good health, adoring daughters, and his beautiful girlfriend Rose, Antoine's life is clouded by his lingering affection for Carole, his ex-wife and mother of his children. Their two-decade-long romance, which started as teenage sweethearts, continues to haunt both Antoine and Carole, threatening Antoine's relationship with Rose. Carole, devastated by the dissolution of her marriage, struggles with recurring dreams and a life teetering on the edge of despair. Half a century earlier, in the heart of Paris, we meet Jacqueline, a young, working-class mother fiercely dedicated to raising her Down Syndrome son, Laurent, as normally as any other child. Abandoned by her husband, Jacqueline's love for her son grows into an obsession, pushing her towards self-destruction when seven-year-old Laurent forms a bond with Véronique, a new classmate who also has Down Syndrome. Their innocent affection for each other triggers a tumultuous transformation in Jacqueline, turning her from a loving mother into a lover scorned. The film masterfully intertwines these two stories, generating an intricate tapestry of love that is both tragic and hopeful. As the characters grapple with shifting relationships and their own emotional turmoil, they are drawn into love triangles of potentially fatal proportions. Revealing the vast spectrum of love - youthful, obsessive, and timeless – Café de Flore is a compelling exploration of the human heart's capacity for love and the lengths it will go to maintain it.

Café de Flore is a drama movie featuring Vanessa Paradis.

Café de Flore is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy.

It is also possible to buy Café de Flore on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Kino Now and YouTube.