Mother and Son

“Heart-wrenching” ★★★★ The Times

The second feature from Jeune Femme director Léonor Serraille shows once again her compassionate eye for people who otherwise are at the edge of the cinematic frame. Focusing on a family emigrating from the Ivory Coast to France, we follow the mother and her two sons across twenty years. Rose (Annabelle Lengronne) is more than a perfectly self-sacrificing mother, though her playful, doting ways with her two sons are a solace as they try to reestablish themselves in new circumstances.

Leaping across decades as Rose makes decisions for herself and her children, we see the ways that family ties tighten or break under the strain of change, honing on the three members of the family in turn at defining moments. A beautiful, soulful character study that gives equal empathy to its three characters, this is a major French discovery informed by deep knowledge of the world it describes.