All posts tagged: Jimpa

Jimpa review – Olivia Colman’s queer family drama should be a lot more daring

Jimpa review – Olivia Colman’s queer family drama should be a lot more daring

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter In Jimpa, Olivia Colman plays an Australian filmmaker, Hannah, determined to make an autobiographical drama “without conflict”. Everyone around her is (rightfully) suspicious. Her father, Jim (John Lithgow), came out as gay after she was born and chose to stay with the family to co-parent, only to then leave Adelaide around a decade later, feeling stifled by the culture, and wanting to pursue a career as an LGBTQ+ politician and AIDS advocate in Amsterdam. Hannah wants to make a film that celebrates what she views as a necessary act of self-liberation, even if her voice wavers when she adds it’s also about a “daughter learning not to need her father so much”. It’s a striking premise, made all the more striking by the fact Hannah serves as an autobiographical stand-in for the film’s writer and director, Sophie Hyde, who’s cast her …

John Lithgow on Queer Family Film ‘Jimpa,’ Olivia Colman: Rotterdam

John Lithgow on Queer Family Film ‘Jimpa,’ Olivia Colman: Rotterdam

Published by Daniella Wilson

John Lithgow, Olivia Colman and Aud Mason-Hyde, the daughter of the director Sophie Hyde (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande; 52 Tuesdays; Animals) star in the new feature Jimpa. The drama about queerness, parenthood and imperfect intergenerational relationships celebrated its Dutch premiere during the 55th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on Sunday. The movie tells the story of Lithgow’s charming contrarian character Jim, who calls himself “Jimpa” to escape the word “grandpa.” Jim, a character inspired by Hyde’s gay activist father, left his family “to pursue a free, gay life in Amsterdam,” reads a synopsis. The film sees Jim’s daughter Hannah (Colman), her non-binary teenager Frances (Mason-Hyde) and her husband (Daniel Henshall) pay Jimpa a visit. Jimpa encourages Frances to enjoy queer Amsterdam, where she meets people portrayed by the likes of Romana Vrede, Hans Kesting and Zoë Love Smith. After Sunday’s Rotterdam screening, Lithgow and Dutch cast members discussed the film in a session entitled “Big Talk: A Queer Family Affair,” moderated by Dutch actress Hanna van Vliet, who highlighted early on that queer rights …