Written by Negan Fu, Photo courtesy of Pyramide Distribution
Those who attended the 2019 SCAD Savannah Film Festival might remember seeing French director Céline Sciamma’s intimate masterpiece “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which quickly grew into one of 2019’s most beloved pictures in the cinephile community. A mere two years later, Sciamma is already making her next mark on the silver screen with her follow-up film “Petite Maman.”
Like the aforementioned “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” Sciamma’s most recent work centers on human connection, this time in the form of a friendship between two 8-year old girls: Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) and Marion (Gabrielle Sanz). Played by real-life sisters, Nelly and Marion encounter each other in the woods surrounding Nelly’s mother’s childhood home. In the wake of Nelly’s grandmother’s death, Nelly finds herself befriending Marion while her parents focus on cleaning out the house.
The two friends spend much of their time enjoying each other’s company while participating in wholesome, amusing activities, such as cooking breakfast, putting on plays and even river rafting. The two actresses feel authentically youthful, never once feeling like they had to memorize lines or rehearse blocking. As a result, much of the film comes off as if Sciamma simply placed a camera in front of the actors and let them be kids. The innocent dynamic between the two keeps the film consistently grounded despite a hint of magical realism that is spread throughout the story.
Marion just so happens to share the same name as Nelly’s mother. This, coupled with the choice to cast twin sisters in the lead roles, prompts questions about what is real and what is a product of an eight-year-old’s swirling, wish-fulfilling imagination. Sciamma never quite reveals this, leaving the audience to speculate for themselves. This element of spirituality adds another layer of depth to an otherwise straightforward story while still managing to not muffle the core narrative of a childhood friendship. It’s an interesting touch not commonly seen in coming-of-age movies and it gives the audience more thematic material to ponder.
Of course, one might argue that what’s “real” or not is irrelevant in the end. For an 8-year old child trying to make sense of the world around them, imagination can be just as palpable as a loving embrace from one’s mother. The developing mind of a child is what gives them the power to drift away into whichever fairytale they please, and Sciamma beautifully captures that excitement in “Petite Maman.” It’s a fascinating film with genuine heart and it just might be the sweetest movie of the year.
