Several films vying for awards attention this year delve deeply into the complexities of parenthood amid a turbulent world. Directors and writers explore postpartum struggles, grief, economic pressures, and intergenerational trauma through personal and historical lenses. These stories highlight universal anxieties faced by parents and children alike.
This year's awards contenders reflect a growing cinematic focus on parenthood, capturing the uncertainties of raising children in an unstable era. Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" examines multigenerational efforts for change, while Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" addresses economic strains on families. Lynne Ramsay's "Die My Love" portrays the isolation of postpartum depression, underscoring the mental health challenges many mothers endure.
Grief emerges as a central theme in Chloé Zhao's "Hamnet," a period drama starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley as William and Agnes Shakespeare. The film imagines how the death of their son inspired "Hamlet." Screenwriter Maggie O’Farrell, adapting her novel, expressed frustration with scholars dismissing Shakespeare's mourning: “I threw the book across the room because you just think, ‘What are you talking about? Of course he grieved.’” She emphasized the timeless devastation of child loss: “I refuse to believe that anywhere in the world at any point in time, it’s anything less than catastrophic to lose a child.” O’Farrell highlighted art's role in remembrance, noting the poignant line “Remember me” from the story, possibly echoing Shakespeare's intent to honor his son.
Clint Bentley's "Train Dreams," featuring Joel Edgerton as an early 20th-century laborer in the Pacific Northwest, complements "Hamnet" by meditating on personal loss and absence. Bentley discussed the film's resonance with modern parental dilemmas: “The world, for most of us, feels like it’s turning on its axis a bit... Part of that is through, ‘What do I give to the next generation?’” He also addressed work-related separations: “You’re always kind of catching up and just when it feels you’re getting used to being back home, you’re leaving again.”
Cherien Dabis's "All That’s Left of You," Jordan's international feature entry, spans decades in a Palestinian family's survival story. Dabis, who wrote, directed, and starred, drew from her heritage to depict eroded parental authority under occupation. “I definitely wanted to draw attention to the struggles of families under occupation, but especially parents who don’t really have the ability to protect their kids anymore,” she said. A harrowing scene of a father humiliated by soldiers stems from Dabis's childhood memory at the Jordan-West Bank border, where her family endured a 12-hour ordeal including strip searches.
Mary Bronstein's "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You," with Rose Byrne as a mother caring for her ill child, innovates by keeping the child's face offscreen, emphasizing auditory tension. Bronstein reflected on identity loss in caregiving: “My film can be abstracted out to the feeling of disappearing into a care-taking role and how to hold onto your identity.” She noted feedback from young viewers gaining empathy for their mothers' sacrifices.
Filmmakers like Dabis see these works as part of a broader dialogue: “I’m always so excited when it feels like there’s something in the zeitgeist and filmmakers are capturing it... creating a cultural dialogue.”
