Simon et Théodore

Touching the heartstrings and tickling the funny bone, French dramedy Simon and Théodore follows the eccentric friendship between an emotionally troubled man and rebellious teen, two misfits seeking self-acceptance. A loving husband but tortured soul prone to acts of self-harm, Simon (Félix Moati) escapes a psychiatric ward to return to his pregnant wife Rivka (Mélanie Bernier), a rabbi and Hebrew teacher. When her 13-year-old student Théodore (Nils Othenin-Girard) runs away from his broken family on his Bar Mitzvah day, Simon impulsively gives chase. Aimlessly roaming the cold streets of Paris and lost in inner turmoil, the father-to-be and cantankerous teen form a bond of mutual need. As Théodore seeks reconciliation with his absentee dad and fretting single mom, and Simon desperate to prove his capacity to love, their misadventures peak in poignant and unexpected ways. (Atlanta Jewish Film Festival)