PETITE MAMAN
****
Director: Céline Sciamma
Screenwriter: Céline Sciamma
Principal cast:
Joséphine Sanz
Gabrielle Sanz
Nina Meurisse
Stéphane Varupenne
Margot Abascal
Country: France
Classification: PG
Runtime: 73 mins.
Australian release date: 5 May 2022.
When someone you love dies, there are moments when you will reflect on past experiences and the relationship you had with that person. Memories are, in many cases, the only reminders and to be able to relive them is a real privilege and is extremely personal. In Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman, the director takes us on just such a journey through the eyes of an eight-year-old girl who is grieving the death of her grandmother.
The film opens with the girl, Nelly (Joséphine Sanz), moving through an aged care home saying goodbye to some of the residents. When she reaches the last room, her mother Marion (Nina Meurisse) is gathering her deceased grandmother’s few possessions. Nelly picks up the old lady’s walking stick and asks if she can keep it. Outside, Nelly’s parents embrace before the three of them head off to the grandmother’s house on the edge of a forest, to set about clearing away the rest of her goods and chattels. Nelly’s mum only stays briefly because she finds it too upsetting – her mother had kept many mementoes of Marion’s childhood. Nelly remains behind with her father (Stéphane Varupenne of the Comédie Française), helping with various chores and exploring her surroundings, which includes the discovery of a cubby-house made of branches in the nearby woods. There she meets a little girl of the same age (Joséphine’s twin sister, Gabrielle Sanz) and they hang out together playing games, visiting each other’s homes and cooking pancakes (a most endearing scene). The children develop a bond which, though brief, is charged with emotional connection. They also quickly understand that there is a very good reason for this connection and, as is the way with the innocence of childhood, they readily accept its extraordinary reality.
In 73 minutes, Sciamma examines the essence of memory and the depth of its being. In her previous film, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Sciamma said she “… wanted the movie to be heartbreaking but consoling…”. Now, once again, she has succeeded in bringing to life a poignant story, this time by employing two non-professional child actors and creating an atmosphere that is totally absorbing, supporting her statement that, “Petite Maman is made so that you can create new memories with people who are not here anymore”. The little Sanz girls are remarkable; they don’t seem to be acting at all, so believable are they in the naturalness of their performances. The film looks stunning too. Much of it is shot in the forest in an array of glorious autumnal colours. If you are planning on taking your mum out this Mother’s Day, then Petite Maman is highly recommended. In fact, it’s highly recommended even if you’re not seeing your mum because you’ll leave the cinema smiling and, at the same time, wiping away tears. This is a treat, not to be missed. It’s short but very sweet.
Screenwriter: Céline Sciamma
Principal cast:
Joséphine Sanz
Gabrielle Sanz
Nina Meurisse
Stéphane Varupenne
Margot Abascal
Country: France
Classification: PG
Runtime: 73 mins.
Australian release date: 5 May 2022.
When someone you love dies, there are moments when you will reflect on past experiences and the relationship you had with that person. Memories are, in many cases, the only reminders and to be able to relive them is a real privilege and is extremely personal. In Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman, the director takes us on just such a journey through the eyes of an eight-year-old girl who is grieving the death of her grandmother.
The film opens with the girl, Nelly (Joséphine Sanz), moving through an aged care home saying goodbye to some of the residents. When she reaches the last room, her mother Marion (Nina Meurisse) is gathering her deceased grandmother’s few possessions. Nelly picks up the old lady’s walking stick and asks if she can keep it. Outside, Nelly’s parents embrace before the three of them head off to the grandmother’s house on the edge of a forest, to set about clearing away the rest of her goods and chattels. Nelly’s mum only stays briefly because she finds it too upsetting – her mother had kept many mementoes of Marion’s childhood. Nelly remains behind with her father (Stéphane Varupenne of the Comédie Française), helping with various chores and exploring her surroundings, which includes the discovery of a cubby-house made of branches in the nearby woods. There she meets a little girl of the same age (Joséphine’s twin sister, Gabrielle Sanz) and they hang out together playing games, visiting each other’s homes and cooking pancakes (a most endearing scene). The children develop a bond which, though brief, is charged with emotional connection. They also quickly understand that there is a very good reason for this connection and, as is the way with the innocence of childhood, they readily accept its extraordinary reality.
In 73 minutes, Sciamma examines the essence of memory and the depth of its being. In her previous film, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Sciamma said she “… wanted the movie to be heartbreaking but consoling…”. Now, once again, she has succeeded in bringing to life a poignant story, this time by employing two non-professional child actors and creating an atmosphere that is totally absorbing, supporting her statement that, “Petite Maman is made so that you can create new memories with people who are not here anymore”. The little Sanz girls are remarkable; they don’t seem to be acting at all, so believable are they in the naturalness of their performances. The film looks stunning too. Much of it is shot in the forest in an array of glorious autumnal colours. If you are planning on taking your mum out this Mother’s Day, then Petite Maman is highly recommended. In fact, it’s highly recommended even if you’re not seeing your mum because you’ll leave the cinema smiling and, at the same time, wiping away tears. This is a treat, not to be missed. It’s short but very sweet.