As her parents are emptying her recently deceased grandmother’s home, Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) goes into the woods to play and comes across another girl (Gabrielle Sanz) who harbors a secret. Another quietly touching drama from Céline Sciamma, this one a meditation on childhood, generations and grief, with a fantastical element. Watching the film unfold, its different eras blending seamlessly, is likely to trigger bittersweet memories of growing up and make you ponder how fast time flies. Simple but effective, with natural, charming performances by the Sanz sisters as playmates whose time together is marked by a sense of here and now.
2021-France. 72 min. Color. Produced by Bénédicte Couvreur. Written and directed by Céline Sciamma. Cast: Joséphine Sanz (Nelly), Gabrielle Sanz (Marion), Nina Meurisse (Mother), Stéphane Varupenne (Father), Margo Abascal.
Last word: “I designed it as a kind of therapeutic tool. And there was a personal question I asked myself with this film. If I met my mother when [we were both] eight years old, what would our relationship be? Would she be my sister? Would we be friends? Would we share the same father? All those kind of things.” (Sciamma, The Guardian)
