From first chord to final applause, Prodigies hits all the right notes

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Prodigies tells the remarkable true story of twin sister pianists who refuse to let a devastating genetic disorder silence their music. Struggling against the odds, they fight to find a way to keep playing, proving that passion and resilience can triumph over adversity. It’s screening at the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025 (“AFFFF 2025”).

The Vallois sisters, Claire (Camille Razat, who plays Camille in the series Emily in Paris) and Jeanne (Mélanie Robert, from the series Chronicles of the Sun), have been trained for greatness since their childhood by their father Serge (Frank Dubosc, also in How to make a killing at this AFFFF 2025, Plancha, AFFFF 2023, and Rumba Therapy, AFFFF 2022). Silver prizes are for losers, all Serge wants is for his girls to win. After being accepted into the very competitive world of the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe in Germany, Claire and Jeanne find themselves among many other great pianists and discover perhaps they are not as good as they had thought.

Professor Lenhardt (August Wittgenstein) is a strict and at times cruel teacher. The sisters find themselves split up, Claire put in Lenhardt’s class, Jeanne with Frau Fischer (Elisa Doughty). Lenhardt saying “why have a pale copy when you can have the original” of his choice to separate them. Claire is chosen as the piano soloist causing jealousy among other students, and even Jeanne (particularly when Claire is showered with praise and a gift when she returns home with the news).

When Claire injures her wrist, she is initially told that it’s tendonitis, and to stop playing for 2 weeks, something which is almost impossible with the concert coming up, and much rehearsing needing to be done. When she is eventually diagnosed with severe bone demineralisation and told she has no chance of a piano career, Claire is thrown into despair asking “what will I do without piano, I don’t know anything else”.

Prodigies Prodigieueses — Camille Rezat and Mélanie Robert © 2024 Julien Panlé Jerico Films, One World Films, France 3 cinema, StudioCanal, Apollo Films

Against her will, Jeanne is announced as the new soloist. Maestro Rinne (Thomas Landbo), who will be the conductor of the school’s performance is wowed by Jeanne and doesn’t want anyone other than Jeanne to perform the piano solo at the prestigious school’s performance. When Jeanne’s own wrists become swollen and make it difficult to play like before, she discovers that she too could have the same condition as her sister, and falls into a similar despair.

The film is directed by father and son Fréderic and Valentin Potier (not brothers as the AFFFF program mistakenly states). The film had several screenwriters: Frédéric Potier, Valentin Potier, Sabine Dabadie, Claire Lemaréchal. In an interview in the press kit, Frédéric Potier explains that they initially looked for real twin pianists who could act to play the roles but they weren’t able to find any. Valentin Potier says that when they put Camille Razat and Mélanie Robert “through their paces together, the magic happened. They had a miraculous complicity and what we didn’t know was that they are the best of friends. They have lived together and are very often with each other. Chance, like a lucky star, meant that we had our twins. They’re the same height and have very similar facial features.”

Both Razat and Robert deliver compelling performances as the twin sisters, capturing both the profound bond they share and the emotional turmoil they endure. Their portrayals are rich with nuance, conveying the sisters’ passion for music, their resilience in the face of adversity, and the heartbreak of their struggle. They bring authenticity and depth to the film Prodigies.

It’s nice to see Franck Dubosc, best known for his comedic roles, take a dramatic turn in Prodigies as Serge, the twins’ demanding yet passionate father. His portrayal balances sternness with underlying tenderness, showing a man who pushes his daughters to greatness while wrestling with his own fears and frustrations. Like many parents who drive their children to succeed, Serge projects his own disappointments onto them, desperate for them to achieve what he could not. Dubosc brings depth to Serge, revealing a father whose tough exterior masks deep love and unspoken anxieties about his daughters’ future.

Prodigieuses — Franck Dubosc and Camille Razat © 2024 Jerico Films One World Films France 3 cinema StudioCanal Apollo-Films

Isabelle Carré (King of my castle, AFFFF 2024, The Tasting, AFFFF 2023, and Delicious, AFFFF 2021) delivers a heartfelt performance as the exasperated mother. She longs for a more stable life—and a house without a leaky roof—and wishes Serge would show more kindness toward the girls. Once a talented figure in haute couture, she too, has faced sacrifices and lost ambitions, adding another layer of quiet sorrow to the family’s struggles. Carré’s portrayal brings warmth, frustration, and resilience to the role, making her a deeply relatable presence in the film.

Prodigies is an uplifting film about finding a new path when all seems lost, and grieving the losses that life-changing medical diagnoses can bring. Its foundation in a true story adds emotional depth, making its message all the more powerful. Don’t miss the chance to experience it at the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025.

4.5 CROISSANTS

Matilda Marseillaise watched a screener of the film.

Prodigies was released in France under the title Prodigieuses in November 2024.

Prodigies is one of a few films based on true stories showing at Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025. The others are Being Maria, Bolero, Monsieur Aznavour, Niki, Saint-Ex, The Deluge, The Divine Sarah Bernhardt, The Good Teacher, The Stolen Painting, and The Thread.

KEY INFO FOR THE ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FILM FESTIVAL 2025

WHAT: Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025

WHERE & WHEN:

19/03 – 23/04 – ADELAIDE
06/03 – 08/04 – BRISBANE
06/03 – 02/04 – BALLARAT, VIC
08/03 – 02/04 – BALLINA, NSW
11/03 – 13/03 – BENDIGO, VIC
07/03 – 02/04 – BYRON BAY, NSW
06/03 – 09/04 – CANBERRA
25/03 – 15/04 – GOLD COAST
03/04 – 13/04 – HOBART
05/03 – 09/04 – MELBOURNE
03/04 – 06/04 – MOUNT GAMBIER, SA
13/03 – 16/04 – PERTH
26/03 – 31/03 – RENMARK, SA
04/03 – 09/04 – SYDNEY
02/04 – 09/04 – VICTOR HARBOR, SA
04/03 – 06/04 – PARRAMATTA, NSW
10/04 – 13/04 – BUNBURY, WA
12/04 – 21/04 – WARRAWONG, NSW