Screenings
- Vechtclub XL – Utrecht
Mother
- long
- 89'
- English subtitles
A darkly comedic crime thriller in a domestic setting. Mother Elsa listens at the door to the monologues visitors direct at her son Lauri, who’s in a coma after being shot. Slowly but surely, the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place.
Kadri Kõusaar’s prior films include Magnus (2007) and The Arbiter (2013). Magnus screened at Pluk. Pluk is loyal. So is mother Elsa, the central figure in Mother, Kõusaar’s latest film. Elsa dutifully takes care of her son Lauri, a twenty-something who lies in a coma in his old bedroom after a mysterious shooting.
A shooting like that is not exactly an everyday occurrence in this small Estonian town. And so her family is suddenly the centre of attention, completely against the wishes of the timid Elsa and her grumpy husband, who only speaks to his wife when he’s giving her orders. She is busy day and night to keep Lauri clean, fed and cared for.
Elsa’s life is not much bigger than her home and her garden, but meanwhile the entire village drops by to pour out their hearts.
Her life is now not much bigger than her house and her garden, but meanwhile the entire village comes to visit. The head of the high school where Lauri worked. The policeman who is in charge of the investigation, and who casually mentions to Elsa that Lauri took out tons of money. Lauri’s girlfriend, with whom he was supposed to buy a house. His mistress. A friend with whom he had a mysterious business deal, and who could now really use the missing money. One by one they pour out their hearts to Lauri, who doesn’t appear to be hearing anything, or at least doesn’t reply. And Elsa listens to their intimate monologues. This is how we, along with her, slowly fill in the details about how and why Lauri was shot.
Joost Broeren (translation by Marjan Westbroek)
