THE STORY – In northern France, Gabin, the youngest of the Jourdel family, finds himself destined to take over his father’s butcher shop. Тorn between family loyalty and a desire to break free, his dreams lie elsewhere: to train a contest cow, to become a dog breeder, and to save his mother’s farm from financial ruin. Spanning a decade, “Gabin” immerses us in this young boy’s world, following his journey from the age of 8 to 18.
THE CAST – Gabin Jourdel, Patricia Jourdel, Dominique Jourdel, Lilou Duflos & Catherine Ranson
THE TEAM – Maxence Voiseaux (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 105 Minutes
Premiering in the Quinzaine des Cinéastes section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, “Gabin” marks the feature debut of writer-director Maxence Voiseux. Filmed over the course of ten years, the documentary carries echoes of Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” while carving out its own fascinating space somewhere between documentary and narrative filmmaking. Shot in northern France, the film centers on Gabin, the youngest member of the Jourdel family, whose father, Dominique, works as a butcher while his mother, Patricia, is a farmer. Across a decade of his life, from the ages of eight to eighteen, Gabin wrestles with expectations surrounding family loyalty, particularly his father’s desire for him to eventually take over the butcher shop. However, Gabin’s interests lie elsewhere, as he becomes increasingly drawn toward the idea of training sheepdogs and working with living animals instead of dead ones.
As the film unfolds, various aspects of Gabin’s life gradually come into focus, from his friendship with classmate Lilou (Lilou Deflos) to his sessions with personal tutor Catherine (Catherine Ranson), which often resemble therapy more than academic instruction, to his eventual ADHD diagnosis, which finally provides some clarity regarding his struggles with concentration. Hovering quietly in the background throughout all of this is Gabin’s relationship with his parents. Dominique is clearly stern and emotionally reserved, someone who appears to struggle to express affection openly. In contrast, Patricia brings warmth and emotional openness to her interactions with Gabin, which are consistently charming and deeply moving.
Though technically a documentary, Voiseux’s filmmaking style often makes “Gabin” feel remarkably close to a scripted narrative feature, particularly in the way scenes naturally unfold and emotionally build. Rather than relying on rigid structure or overtly observational filmmaking, Voiseux spent years building trust with the family and allowing conversations to evolve organically within loosely constructed situations. That approach creates a fascinating blurring of the line between fiction and fly-on-the-wall documentary filmmaking. For example, if Gabin and Lilou were spending time together at the beach, Voiseux would accompany them and suggest subjects for conversation rather than provide them with scripted dialogue. The result is an emotional authenticity that feels both spontaneous and carefully crafted, particularly in a quietly heartbreaking sequence in which Gabin asks Lilou if there are any boys at school she likes and quickly realizes he won’t get the answer he was hoping for.
The film opens with footage of eight-year-old Gabin that Voiseux originally shot for an earlier short film focused on the wider Jourdel family, including Gabin’s grandfather. These early scenes are charming in their own right, especially moments where young Gabin talks to the cows with complete sincerity, declaring, “You’re bigger than me, but you’re not the boss.” Yet they also establish the emotional foundation of the entire film. Even at such a young age, Gabin already understands that he does not want to follow in his father’s footsteps, preferring the care of living animals over participation in the family butchery business.
As with “Boyhood,” one of the film’s greatest pleasures comes from simply watching its central subject age before our eyes. Gabin moves through multiple phases, hairstyles, and versions of himself across the film’s runtime, some more flattering than others. At one point, he adopts a full buzzcut that stands in stark contrast to the wavy brown hair seen throughout much of the documentary, momentarily emphasizing the passage of time and the stitching together of different periods in his life.
Still, Voiseux’s unconventional narrative approach does not always fully pay off. In particular, two elements feel frustratingly unresolved. The first concerns the audience’s investment in the relationship between Gabin and Lilou, which the film spends considerable time building emotionally, only to deliver no satisfying sense of closure. The second arrives much later in the film, when an oblique reference suggests that Catherine no longer works with the family due to personal reasons. Suddenly, her overly familiar behavior toward Gabin in an earlier scene takes on a far more uncomfortable light. However, the film offers little additional clarification or exploration of the situation.
Even so, “Gabin” contains numerous lovely and emotionally resonant sequences that make the film more than worthwhile. One particularly funny scene features an older Gabin teasing Patricia about being a “mummy’s boy” and joking that he plans to live with her forever, revealing the playful affection at the center of their relationship. Elsewhere, a beautifully simple sequence involving livestock care training becomes unexpectedly moving. As Gabin listens to a cow’s heartbeat through a stethoscope, an expression of complete peace washes over his face in close-up while the sound of the heartbeat fills the soundtrack. The moment gains additional power through contrast, as several earlier close-ups showed other students performing the same exercise with far less emotional connection.
The documentary also delivers moments of genuine emotional devastation, further demonstrating the closeness Voiseux achieved with the family over the years. One especially powerful scene sees Patricia recounting the story of Gabin’s birth, becoming visibly overwhelmed as she recalls her final moments with her mother-in-law. It’s a raw, intimate sequence that speaks volumes about grief, family bonds, and the kind of trust required for a filmmaker to capture such vulnerability on camera.
Visually, Voiseux also demonstrates an excellent eye for framing and composition, working alongside cinematographers François Chambe and Martin Roux to create several striking images throughout the film. One particularly memorable shot quietly challenges viewers to spot a single dog moving among a massive flock of sheep, showcasing the film’s understated visual elegance.
Ultimately, “Gabin” is an emotionally engaging documentary that often feels like an intimate independent drama thanks to Voiseux’s singular approach to filmmaking. The blending of naturalism, emotional intimacy, and long-term observation creates something quietly special. After spending a decade completing this deeply personal project, it will be fascinating to see where Voiseux’s filmmaking journey goes next.
