AFFFF25: This Life of Mine

Australian Premiere

Winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival SACD Best Screenplay award and opening night film of the Director’s Fortnight section, Sophie Fillières' This Life of Mine is a sharply funny and deeply resonant take on midlife crises. With her signature wit and humour, Fillières delivers a tender portrait of a woman navigating the chaos of family, work, and the absurdities of aging.

Barberie "Barbie" Bichette (Agnès Jaoui, Place Publique, AF FFF19) is a woman under siege: her kids cringe at her quirks, her soul-crushing copywriting job barely inspires her, and her body feels like it’s rebelling. Caught between hot flushes and existential dread, Barbie stumbles through the comedy of life at 55, where every small struggle feels monumental.

On the brink of her birthday, Barbie faces a choice: conform to society’s dismissive view of aging women or break free. What follows is a journey of rediscovery as she escapes to the Scottish Highlands to reclaim her spirit and sense of self. Equal parts poignant and funny, This Life of Mine reminds us that midlife isn’t the end of the story – it’s just the start of a fabulous new chapter.