In a small village in Thailand, Pomm takes care of Europeans with dementia.
Separated from her children, she helps Elisabeth during the final stages of her life, as a new patient arrives from Switzerland.
MOTHER is a moving observation of motherhood and care.
TRAILER
REVIEWS
'HEARTBREAKING'
★★★★
'STUNNING'
★★★★★
'A RADICAL
ACHIEVEMENT'
★★★★★
'DEEPLY AFFECTING'
★★★★
'BEAUTIFUL AND
SENSITIVE'
'LYRICAL
&
HEART-RENDING'
'DEEPLY HUMANE,
LIFE-AFFIRMING'
★★★★
'UNDENIABLY AFFECTING'
'PROFOUND'
'PATIENT,
ATYPICAL,
UNIVERSAL'
INTERVIEWS
'Films must be honest about tragedy': the director putting dementia on screen
Kristof Bilsen on the Ties That Bind in “MOTHER”
'Pomm quickly made it clear to me how to visualize her story.' (in dutch)
Chantal Pattyn interviews
Kristof Bilsen (in dutch)
POMPIDOU
SYNOPSIS
ENG
In a small village in Thailand, Pomm takes care of Europeans with Alzheimer’s.
Separated from her children, she helps Elisabeth during the final stages of her life, as a new patient arrives from Switzerland.
Pomm has sacrificed being close to her children in order to earn a better living, meanwhile in Switzerland a family prepares to say goodbye to their mother; a woman who has developed Alzheimer’s in her 50s.
Mother is an intimate and moving observation, that allows us to explore the struggles and expectations of motherhood and the frustrations of being unable to care for our loved ones.
As two narratives collide in this extraordinary coincidence, the powerful connection between patients and caregivers challenge our preconceptions.
Both Pomm and her patients are trying to recover the pieces of their lives that are gone, but through love and kindness they will learn to care for each other.
FR
Dans un petit village de Thaïlande, Pomm s’occupe d’Européens souffrant de la maladie d’Alzheimer. Séparée de ses enfants, elle aide Elisabeth dans les dernières étapes de sa vie, tandis qu’une nouvelle patiente arrive de Suisse.
Le film MOTHER explore le rôle compliqué d’une mère et les frustrations pouvant découler de notre incapacité à prendre soin de nos proches. C’est le lien puissant unissant patients et soignants qui remettra en question nos idées préconçues. Pomm et ses patientes tentent de récupérer les morceaux manquants de leur vie. À force d’amour et de gentillesse, elles apprendront à prendre soin les unes des autres.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
A production by Limerick Films (BE)
in co-production with HALAL docs (NL) and Man's Films Productions (BE)
Director & Producer: Kristof Bilsen
Written & developed by: Kristof Bilsen & Xan Márquez Caneda
Camera: Kristof Bilsen, Marko Milovanovic, Chutimon Sonsirichai
Sound recordist: Xan Márquez Caneda
Editor: Maarten Janssens
Sound designer & Mixer: Hugo Dijkstal
Music by: Kyle Bobby Dunn
Colorist: Olivier Ogneux
Post-production: CAVIAR Post (Steffen Geypens, Xavier Arijs)
Graphic design & Poster design: Sander Brouwer
Executive producer: Kirsten Johnson
Co-producers: Marion Hänsel, Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen
Associate producer: Steven Dhoedt
Research support by Pascal Decroos Fund and by SACD/Scam
Script and development support by Flanders Audiovisual Fund
and the Creative Europe Programme - MEDIA of the European Union
Production support by Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Netherlands Film Fund
and Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel Wallonie Bruxelles
Co-produced by VRT-Canvas, RTBF - Unité de Programmes Documentaires
and EOdocs. In association with RTS Switzerland
With support of the Tax Shelter initiative of the Belgian Government
Developed during EURODOC 2017
International sales: Deckert Distribution
Duration: 82' / 52' - 2K DCP Dolby SR