The Marching Band (in-person & online)

Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Lottin, Sarah Suco

When internationally acclaimed orchestra conductor Thibaut (Benjamin Lavernhe) is diagnosed with a serious illness, a DNA test leads him to discover he has a biological brother, Jimmy (Pierre Lottin), a factory worker who plays trombone in a local marching band in Lille. When Jimmy’s band loses its conductor, Thibaut steps in as replacement – giving the brothers a chance to learn more about the circumstances that shaped each other’s lives, and Thibaut the opportunity to see that his brother has a serious, and largely untapped gift.

Authentic, funny and very moving, French actor and director Emmannuel Courcol’s (Ceasefire, The Big Hit) drama boasts convincing tension and chemistry between leads Lavernhe and Lottin as newfound brothers who forge an unlikely connection through the joy and power of music. An involving and entertaining watch, it’s a story of identity vs destiny, nature vs nurture, full of thinking about the interplay of talent and opportunity that go into the making (or unmaking) of a creative life.