A hectic young father's family life takes a turn for the worse in Swiss director Dani Levy's 2002 comedy/drama I'm the Father. Architect Marco Krieger (Sebastian Blomberg) has been working hard on a new project that will be the crowning achievement to his short career and will also make his name in the industry -- but his relationships with his son Benny (Ezra Valentin Lenz) and wife Melanie (Maria Schrader) have suffered greatly as a result. Marco has failed to notice how dire the situation is, however, until Melanie leaves with Benny and promptly files for divorce with severe custody limitations. Shattered and distraught, Marco must reevaluate his desires for success in the business world against his desires to be a father and husband, ultimately choosing the latter. The problem now is convincing Melanie to let him back into their lives, which may require extraordinary action on his part. I'm the Father was screened as part of the 2002 Montreal World Film Festival.
by Ryan Shriver
synopsis
