Petite Maman
After the fabulous Portrait of a Lady on Fire, director Céline Sciamma returns with a story that is just as elegant & compelling. Made under lockdown conditions with a tiny cast and just 75 minutes long, this packs in more emotion than films three times its length.
Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) is a quiet eight-year-old who travels with her parents to empty her grandmother’s house following her death. As Nelly is processing her loss, her mother is visibly struggling. When Nelly meets Marion (Gabrielle Sanz), in the woods behind the house. She quickly realises and seems to instantly accept – that this is her mother at a younger age. They become friends and grasp the chance to learn more about her mother and explore some of the missing pieces in her own life.
Everything beyond the girls is left deliberately vague. The story seems to be set in the present day, although it could take place in any time period. But this timelessness adds to a dreamy sense of possibility. Could this be all happening in her head, maybe it’s ghost story – but either way it’s important, in the way that imaginary things can be when you’re young.
Delicate and moving, this takes an unusual and thoughtful look at girlhood, motherhood, and friendship.
The film is available on various platforms including MUBI.
