Thibaut (Benjamin Lavernhe), an internationally renowned orchestra conductor, is diagnosed with leukaemia, and is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. His search for a donor leads him to discover that that he was adopted, a revelation that introduces him to his biological brother Jimmy (Pierre Lottin), a divorced dad with a daughter who works in a factory cafeteria and plays the trombone in a small marching band. Although worlds apart – Thibaut was raised in a posh Parisian suburb while Jimmy lives in a small working-class town – they are drawn together by a profound connection to music, and soon the sophisticated maestro finds himself rehearsing with his brother’s scrappy brass band. The Marching Band is a warm, funny, and socially conscious crowd-pleaser from the director of The Big Hit, the opening film at IFI French Film Festival 2021.

Notes by David O’Mahony.