How does being abandonment by one’s mother shape a person’s identity? And if one mother is replaced by another, then how can we explain the adult’s mal d’être?
Mickaël Bandela, a young filmmaker who has recently become a father, tries to understand the nature of his complicated relationship with his biological and foster mothers. The filmmaker artfully and tenderly edits together family photos and home movies, his own intimate thoughts and distant observations made by social workers, in an effort to solve his own, intimate puzzle. At the same time, through present-day interviews with his mothers, the director seems to want to find something that has always been missing in his life. Far from the impulse to confront or to judge, Bandela’s film is deeply affectionate.
Original Title:Une mère
Director:Mickaël Bandela
Producers: Marina Perales Marhuenda, Xavier Rocher, Mickaël Bandela
Cinematographer: Mickaël Bandela
Editor: Mickaël Bandela
Music: Thomas Schwab
Production Company: Ruska Films, La Fabrica Nocturna Cinema
Sound: Mickaël Bandela