My hymn to Bethlehem

Leila Sansour left Bethlehem aged 17, fed up with conflict and small-town restrictions. But when she went back in 2004, she fell in love with it – she’s spent 10 years making a deeply personal film about the disintegration of the city and of her own family

John Hannah: My family values

The actor talks about his early memories of his grandparents and coming to terms with not being encouraged to work hard at schoo

I wish I’d given my parents a good time at the end of their lives

Tom Browne felt frustrated by his aged parents and wanted them to change how they lived. Now he sees things differently and makes amends in his new film

David Baddiel: ‘It’s a huge joy to do work your children like’

Inspired by a question from his son about Harry Potter, comedian David Baddiel has written a children’s book about a boy who can choose his own parents

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day review – agitating matinee fare

Disney’s answer to Diary of a Wimpy Kid has plenty of vomit gags, but is not quite winning enough, writes Mike McCahill

Corin Redgrave: He lost his memory of our life together

Kika Markham was married for more than 20 years to the actor Corin Redgrave, of the theatrical dynasty. But a heart attack left him with little awareness of their close relationship

Why are there no happy families in Hollywood?

Joe Queenan: Every new film seems to be about kids looking for a new family – even if the kid is a space-travelling raccoon. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a nuclear family on screen for once?

Emma Thompson: ‘It’s a different patch of life, your 50s’

Emma Thompson couldn't give a damn about fame, or getting older: she just wants to save the planet, and be a good parent in the meantime. Emma Brockes hears how

Joanna Page: My family values

The Gavin and Stacey actress talks about the joys of being an only child and getting homesick at drama school

Should children be at the centre of everything a family does?

Open thread: Angelina Jolie’s wedding veil was embroidered with images drawn by her offspring. Is this parental indulgence run wild, or perfectly reasonable behaviour?

Jenny Agutter: My family values

The Railway Children actress talks about growing up in Cyprus and how cystic fibrosis has affected her family. Interview by Sarah Ewing

Marion Cotillard: ‘Before my family, everything was dedicated to the character’

When Marion Cotillard took on Edith Piaf she lived the part, willing herself into the role of a tortured genius. Such commitment is harder now that she has a toddler. But, as Stephanie Rafanelli discovers, that doesn’t stop her trying

Making sense of the magical journey from boy to man

Jonathan Freedland: In a world saturated by violence and sensation, true escape comes in Richard Linklater’s affecting film Boyhood

John Barrowman: My family values

The actor and musician talks about his Glasgow childhood and being thrown in the bin as a baby by his parents. Interview by Sarah Ewing

The difficulty of capturing family life

Tim Lott: Films such as Richard Linklater's Boyhood show that the banality of family life is tedious to those outside of it