As you grow older, you begin to appreciate your parents a little more. You realise that they, too, are still figuring out the world. Parental relationships are complex and nuanced, taking shape in a number of ways. Some explore these relationships through art (take Louise Bourgeois’ Maman, or Carrie Mae Weems Untitled: Woman and Daughter with Makeup from Kitchen), while others explore this through the moving image. We’ve selected six films on MUBI that explore the complexities of such a relationship and will undoubtedly make you want to call your parents.
Aftersun (2022)
Now streaming exclusively on MUBI, Aftersun is Scottish film director Charlotte Wells‘ effortlessly heartrending cinematic debut. A subtle and intricate exploration of parenthood, childhood memories, loss and love, Aftersun explores the (often unexplored) relationship between father and daughter.
Set in a vacation resort, 11-year-old Sophie [Frankie Corio] treasures the rare time together with her loving father Calum [Paul Mescal], who is no longer with her mother. The film is a visualisation of the unspoken details, of childhood memories played again and again in your mind, revealing new details each time. Twenty years later from the vacation, Sophia’s tender recollections of their last adventure together become a powerful portrait of their relationship that will forever remain stuck in time.
There’s a reason why critics have said that you’ll leave this film feeling unchanged.
Image Courtesy of MUBI.
Talking About the Weather (2022)
Directed by Annika Pinske, Talking About the Weather is an intimate exploration of the complex relationship between mother and daughter.
Unveiled during Berlinale’s Panorama section last February, Talking About the Weather follows Clara, a soon-to-be 40-year-old PhD Philosophy student in Berlin and mother of a teenage daughter who lives with her dad. On the occasion of her mother’s 60th birthday, Clara returns to East Germany – specifically provincial Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – where she realises how far she has moved away from her roots in her search for a self-determined life.
The film questions if we ever talk about anything other than the weather. What about the deeper and philosophical things in life: our homes, dreams, fears and emotions?
Talking About the Weather will be available on MUBI on 24th March.
Image Courtesy of MUBI.
Petite Maman (2021)
After the internationally acclaimed Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Céline Sciamma returned to the screen two years later with a spellbinding portrait of childhood friendships in Petite Maman.
Following the death of her grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly retreats to the woods where she meets a girl her own age who bears a strange likeness to her own. Enchanted by this mysterious friend, Nelly finds herself on a journey of discovery that allows her to accept the loss of her loved one.
Delicately playful, with a touch of melancholy, Petite Maman weaves a spectral fairytale from a child’s-eye view on love and loss.
Image Courtesy of MUBI.
Nowhere Special (2020)
Tender and poignant, Uberto Pasolini’s Nowhere Special is a moving story of a father and son.
Filled with depth and emotion, the film follows John, a window cleaner who devotes his life to raising his four-year-old son Michael whose mother left him immediately after his birth. After being given only a few months to live and with no family to turn to, John spends his last days searching for a new family to adopt Michael.
Nowhere Special effortlessly captures the small details of everyday life, such as John walking his son to school holding hands. A seemingly simple act becomes a symbol of pain and joy, in the knowledge that John will not be able to do it much longer.
Image Courtesy of MUBI.
El Planeta (2021)
A directorial debut from Argentinian-born New York-based artist Amalia Ulman, El Planeta is a charismatic portrait of a special mother and daughter relationship.
Played by the director and her mother Ale Ulman, Leo and her mother María bluff and grift to keep up the lifestyle they think they deserve. Whether shoplifting, not paying for an extravagant meal or weighing the pros and cons of low-key sex work, the two characters bond over common tragedy and an impending eviction in post-crisis Spain.
Image Courtesy of MUBI.
Actual People (2021)
Exploring the Asian-American student experience, actress, director and writer Kit Zauhar brings a new charm to independent cinema with her low-budget filmmaking in Actual People.
The film follows Riley, an aimless young woman in her final week of college, who goes to great lengths to win the affections of a boy from her hometown of Philadelphia. In the process, she ends up having to confront anxieties about her love life, family, and future.
An introspective coming-of-age tale, Zauhar’s debut feature is a relatable portrayal of what it means to be a young girl today.
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