An Impossible Love poster

An Impossible Love

Movie 2018 2h 15m 6.6 /10
Directed by Catherine Corsini

An Impossible Love follows a mother and her daughter as their bond endures through decades starting in 1958. The relationship is tested by a volatile husband whose manipulations threaten to pull them apart. Rachel, the mother, fights to protect her child while navigating a world that keeps... Read more

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Streaming availability last verified: January 20, 2026

About An Impossible Love

An Impossible Love follows a mother and her daughter as their bond endures through decades starting in 1958. The relationship is tested by a volatile husband whose manipulations threaten to pull them apart. Rachel, the mother, fights to protect her child while navigating a world that keeps changing around them. Chantal grows from a frail child into a woman whose own choices collide with family expectations. The story centers on the quiet strength of love kept alive by adults and kids who refuse to break, even as the past echoes into the present.

Directed by Catherine Corsini, An Impossible Love draws on Christine Angot and Laurette Polmanss for its source material and was released in 2018.

Critics praise Corsini for a restrained, intimate portrayal of the mother daughter bond as it marches from the late 1950s to today, showing how love endures amid patriarchal pressure, secrecy, and shifting social expectations.

Box office data for An Impossible Love is not widely reported, but the film did attract attention at festivals and among French audiences for its quiet, emotionally precise drama.

Details

Release Date
November 07, 2018
Runtime
2h 15m
User Ratings
217 votes
Type
Movie
Genres
Drama, Romance, History
Country
Belgium
Studio
Artémis Productions +3 more
External Links
View on IMDB

Official Trailer

Cast

Virginie Efira

Virginie Efira

Rachel

Niels Schneider

Niels Schneider

Philippe

Jehnny Beth

Jehnny Beth

Chantal (adult)

Estelle Lescure

Estelle Lescure

Chantal (adolescent)

Coralie Russier

Coralie Russier

Nicole

Iliana Zabeth

Iliana Zabeth

Gaby Schwartz

Catherine Morlot

Catherine Morlot

Grandma

Ambre Hasaj

Ambre Hasaj

Chantal (age 3-5)

S

Sasha Alessandri-Torrès Garcia

Chantal (age 6-8)

Pierre Salvadori

Pierre Salvadori

Doctor

Director: Catherine Corsini

Written by: Christine Angot, Laurette Polmanss

Frequently Asked Questions

An Impossible Love is not currently available on streaming subscription services, but you can rent or buy it on Vudu and Amazon Video.

Yes, you can rent on Vudu and Amazon Video or buy on Vudu and Amazon Video.

With a rating of 6.6/10 from 217 viewers, An Impossible Love is considered decent by viewers and may be worth checking out.

An Impossible Love follows a mother and her daughter as their bond endures through decades starting in 1958. The relationship is tested by a volatile husband whose manipulations threaten to pull them apart. Rachel, the mother, fights to protect her child while navigating a world that keeps changi...

An Impossible Love stars Virginie Efira, Niels Schneider, Jehnny Beth, Estelle Lescure, and Coralie Russier.

An Impossible Love was directed by Catherine Corsini.

An Impossible Love was released on November 07, 2018.

An Impossible Love is a Drama, Romance, and History film.

Virginie Efira plays Rachel, the mother at the center of the story. The film centers on her relationship with her daughter.

Jehnny Beth plays Chantal as an adult, while Estelle Lescure portrays Chantal as a teenager. The two performances trace Chantal's life across different ages.

Catherine Corsini directed An Impossible Love. The film is a 2018 drama romance with historical elements.

The story spans from 1958 to the present day. It follows the mother daughter relationship across several decades.