Jimpa is a tender, funny and deeply poignant exploration of family, identity and love across generations. Co-written and directed by Sophie Hyde, and inspired by her own family story, it feels intimate and authentic from the outset.
The story follows film director Hannah, played by Olivia Colman, who takes her non-binary teenager Frances, portrayed by Aud Mason-Hyde, to Amsterdam to visit her gay father Jim, known as Jimpa, played by John Lithgow.
As Sophie Hyde described on Australian Story, it’s ‘a three-way conversation between grandfather, mother and child’.
When Frances announces they would like to stay in Amsterdam with their grandfather, we watch Hannah explore her past, the impact on the family of her father coming out, and her own parenting.
What unfolds is full of warmth, humour and kindness, but also striking emotional honesty.
Almost every scene carries emotional weight, even the quiet ones, from flashbacks to the AIDS epidemic, to moments of sexual exploration, to deeply personal end-of-life conversations. They feel real. Not heightened for dramatic effect, not overly sentimental, just thoughtful, sometimes awkward, sometimes confronting, as families often are when facing ageing, autonomy and mortality. There is a quiet poignancy that lingers.
Aud Mason-Hyde’s portrayal of Frances is calm, intelligent and beautifully undramatic. For parents of LGBTIQA+ children, or anyone wanting to better understand this perspective, this film is a gift. It does not sensationalise or politicise; it simply presents a young person thinking, questioning and articulating their world with clarity. It is refreshing and deeply human.
Olivia Colman delivers a layered, vulnerable performance, with her trademark mix of humour and heartbreak. John Lithgow brings charm and depth to Jimpa, embodying a man who has lived fully, imperfectly and honestly. Together, the trio create characters who feel fully formed and utterly believable.
Visually, the film is stunning. The scenery, costumes and set design, both present day and in flashbacks, are rich without being showy. And yes, there is male nudity. It is neither gratuitous nor coy, just part of the story’s matter-of-fact honesty about bodies, ageing and intimacy. A reminder that movies, like life, contain multitudes.
As Aud Mason-Hyde reflected on Australian Story, ‘by being our most authentic selves, we give people around us the opportunity to love us fully’.
In a world that can feel noisy and divided, Jimpa is gentle, generous and quietly brave. It is well worth the laughs, the tears, and may help you feel slightly more hopeful about humanity.
Now showing in cinemas.
