Pequena Mamãe

As "Petite Maman" (2021 release from France; 72 min) opens, 8 yo Nelly and her mom Marion are dealing with the recent passing of Marion's mom/Nelly's grandmother. The grandmother's house contains tons of childhood memories and things. Once day while playing in the nearby woods, Nelly meets another 8 yo girl, whose name is Marion...

Couple of comments; this is the latest from French writer-director Celine Sciamma ("Portrait of a Lady on Fire"). Here Sciamma looks at how an 8 yo girl processes the loss of her grandmother. "I never get to say a proper goodbye", she laments to her mom. Things really get interesting when Nelly meets 8 yo Marion. The scale of the movie may be small, but its emotional reach is enormous. I was completely blown away by the lead performances of the young twins (Joséphine Sanz as Nelly and Gabrielle Sanz as Marion). In case you are wondering whether the movie's short running time hurts the viewing experience, don't worry. The movie comes to a natural close and you will be surprised how deeply invested you had become with these characters.

"Petite Maman" premiered at the 2021 Berlinale to immediate and widespread critical acclaim. If the movie get a US theatrical release, it certainly didn't make it to where I live (in Cincinnati.). Fortunately, the movie started streaming on Hulu just a few days ago, and that is where I caught it. If you are in the mood for a top notch foreign movie about dealing with grief from a young girl's perspective, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.