Bonjour Timothy

Bonjour Timothy is a 1995 Canadian-New Zealander romantic comedy film directed by Wayne Tourell and starring Dean O'Gorman, Stephen Papps and Sabine Karsenti.

Plot
Bonjour Timothy is a coming of age story of a young French-Canadian girl who goes on exchange to Auckland. The story follows Timothy, played by Dean O'Gorman, a young New Zealand boy who develops a crush on Michelle, played by Sabine Karsenti, the young French-Canadian girl from Montreal who is living with his family on her exchange. The story follows Timothy, a social underdog in his school, as he goes through a period of self-discovery, and tries to gain the attention of his crush, Michelle. This story depicts the trials and tribulations associated with being in high school, and the awkward stages that accompany being a young adult.

The New Zealand Film Commission describes Bonjour Timothy as, "In Bonjour Timothy (1995) the underdog wins the affection of the girl against all odds, in a film about coming-of-age anxieties over sex and love" (Aveyard, Moran & Veith 2018).

Buzzfeed described Bonjour Timothy as, "The Best Teen Movie You've Never Heard Of."

Cast

 * Dean O'Gorman as Timothy Taylor
 * Stephen Papps as Mr. Blisker
 * Sabine Karsenti as Michelle Dubois
 * Sylvia Rands as Mary
 * Sydney Jackson as Roger
 * Milan Borich as Nathan
 * Angela Bloomfield as Vikki
 * Richard Vette as Derek
 * Raewyn Blade as Ms. Brathwaite
 * Nathaniel Lees as Mr. Wiley
 * Jay Saussey as Melissa Anderson

Production
The film was shot largely at and around Avondale College in Auckland, New Zealand.

Film Crew:


 * Director: Wayne Tourell
 * Producers: Murray Newey, Micheline Charest
 * Writer: David Preston
 * Editor: Jean-Marie Drot
 * Cinematography: Matt Bowkett
 * Production Design: Brett Schwieters
 * Composer: Daniel Scott
 * Costumes: Pauline Bowkett

Awards

 * 1996 Berlin Film Festival; Kinderfilmfest, Children's Jury - Honourable Mention
 * 1995 New Zealand Film and Television Awards; Nominated for Best Director, Best Male in a Dramatic Role (Dean O'Gorman), Best Female in a Dramatic Role (Sylvia Rands) and Best Male Performance in a Supporting Role (Milan Borich)
 * 1995 Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People (Northern Ireland); Best Feature Film
 * 1995 Griffoni Film Festival (Italy); Critics Prize, Nominated for Best Actor (Dean O'Gorman)