Céline Sciamma continues to prove herself as one of the most accomplished and unpredictable contemporary French filmmakers with her follow up to Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019), the uniquely emotional PETITE MAMAN. Following the death of her beloved grandmother, 8-year-old Nelly accompanies her parents to her mother's childhood home to begin the difficult process of cleaning out its contents. As Nelly explores the house and nearby woods, she is immediately drawn to ... (Full plot summary below)
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Céline Sciamma continues to prove herself as one of the most accomplished and unpredictable contemporary French filmmakers with her follow up to Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019), the uniquely emotional PETITE MAMAN. Following the death of her beloved grandmother, 8-year-old Nelly accompanies her parents to her mother's childhood home to begin the difficult process of cleaning out its contents. As Nelly explores the house and nearby woods, she is immediately drawn to a neighbor her own age building a treehouse. What follows is a tender tale of childhood grief, memory and connection.
Leave your thoughts about Petite Maman.
| Washington PostMichael O'SullivanPetite Maman is what every film should be: powerfully, even arrestingly original; grounded in emotional truth; hyper-specific; deeply universal; strange; mesmerizing; and not a minute longer than necessary. It is, in short, a small wonder. |
| The Observer (UK)Mark KermodePetite Maman is short and sweet, yet fearlessly profound. A mix of fairytale, ghost story and rites-of-passage journey, this is at heart a cinematic parable about healing intergenerational wounds, about breaching the barriers that inevitably grow between parents and children. |
| Little White LiesAimee KnightPetite Maman becomes a profound meditation on inheritance. |
| EmpireHelen O'HaraA story even more delicate and moving than Sciamma’s last effort, this takes an unusual and thoughtful look at girlhood, motherhood and friendship. It’s enchanting. |
| CineVueMatthew AndersonIn the cyclical, ethereal narrative of this inventive, tender story of love and loss, one of the finest filmmakers of our time spins a spellbinding magical web. |
| The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzQuiet and reverent, as if filmed entirely in hushed tones, Sciamma’s film is supremely confident in its every element. |
| TheWrapAlonso DuraldeIt’s particularly resonant, packed with emotion and insight that will move the director’s admirers (who should consider watching it alongside their own children) and probably garner her some new ones. |
| The GuardianPeter BradshawCéline Sciamma’s beautiful fairytale reverie is occasioned by the dual mysteries of memory and the future: simple, elegant and very moving. |
| ObserverEmily ZemlerIt’s a small film that leaves behind big ripples. |
| Original-CinKaren GordonThere is magic in French writer/director Céline Sciamma’s beautiful new film Petite Maman. Running just 72 minutes, this spare and gentle little film has an emotional core that feels true and authentic. |
