LA Premiere of "Once Upon My Mother" with Panel Discussion

WINNER OF 7 FILM FESTIVALS!

Q&A to follow with Michele Wolf of JLA Trust, Elaine Hall of The Miracle Project & Judy Mark of Disability Voices United

Starring Leïla Bekhti

ABOUT THE FILM: A triumphant celebration of unconditional love, Once Upon My Mother is a joyful, heartwarming family saga that radiates faith, devotion, and the transformative power of maternal love.ilm based on the bestselling autobiographical novel by French writer and radio personality Roland Perez.

Inspired by Roland Perez's beloved bestselling autobiography, “Ma Mère, Dieu Et Sylvie Vartan,” this irresistible cinematic gem transports us to France, 1963. When Esther Perez (radiantly portrayed by Leïla Bekhti, Paris, je t'aime)—a spirited Moroccan-Jewish immigrant raising six children in the Parisian suburbs—learns her newborn son Roland has been born with a clubfoot, she refuses to accept the doctors' grim prognosis. With fierce determination, boundless love, and an unshakeable belief in miracles, she embarks on a decades-long crusade to ensure her son doesn't just walk—he soars. This film is the story of an incredible destiny and the greatest love of all: a mother's love for her child.

Directed by Ken Scott
Story by Roland Perez
Drama/2025/France, Canada/102 minutes/French with English subtitles

Sponsored by the Consulate General of France
In partnership with JLA Trust

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Host or Publisher Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival