Acceptance

Imane El hajjouji

Canada, Quebec / 2025 / Experimental / 19’0”I2606002

Acceptance
1 Visionner Images

SYNOPSIS

Florence is a 35y old woman who goes to Montréal to spend the weekend with her mother. She plans to announce that she and her husband have separated. Her mother, who has been living alone for the last 5 years, struggles to reinvent her life since her husband’s death, despite being successful. By accident, Florence discovers that her dad’s clothes are still in his closet. She asks her mom to give them to a charity. Mother is resistant and doesn’t understand why her daughter is so inquisitive and Florence doesn’t understand why her mom holds onto material things. The mother explains that it’s not about letting go of the dad, but it’s reinventing her whole life that is proving to be difficult. At the same time, the mother’s feelings are so overwhelming that Florence cannot express the new loss that she’s going through in her own personal life. The subtility is that Florence is the one who goes to her mom because she needs to be supported, given her recent separation from her husband, but she ends up being the one supporting her mom (in her grief) even though the latter is not receiving it. This dynamic is the common thread of their relationship. The purpose of this short movie to show how people evolve after the death of a central figure and how family roles are reorganized. Yet, the same old patterns and communication flaws persist. Acceptance refers to the last stage of grief. Grief is about letting go and for this relationship to be repaired, old patterns need to be let go. Acceptance of grief is mirrored with acceptance of each other’s choices.

GÉNÉRIQUE