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Petite Maman

Nelly has just lost her grandmother and is helping her parents clean out her mother's childhood home. She explores the house and the surrounding woods. One day she meets a girl her same age building a treehouse.
Original title: Petite maman
(PG, 73 min.)

Showtimes

Monday, May 9, 2022

5:30 PM 8:15 PM

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

5:30 PM 8:15 PM

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

4:30 PM

Thursday, May 12, 2022

6:00 PM

Friday, May 13, 2022

9:00 PM

Saturday, May 14, 2022

7:15 PM 9:15 PM

Sunday, May 15, 2022

5:00 PM

Monday, May 16, 2022

5:00 PM 7:30 PM

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

5:00 PM 7:45 PM

Thursday, May 19, 2022

5:00 PM

Céline Sciamma continues to prove herself as one of the most accomplished and unpredictable contemporary French filmmakers with her follow up to PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE, 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. [Neon]

Working once again with cinematographer Claire Mathon and production designer Lionel Brison, Sciamma gently ushers us into a series of hushed, crepuscular spaces where the spectral meets the everyday and time seems to fold in on itself. Drawing lovely, subtle performances from her young stars, Sciamma allows us to see the world through Nelly and Marion’s eyes. The result is a film of tremendous tenderness and sombre beauty that, like all of Sciamma’s films, celebrates the spectrum of feminine connection. [TIFF]

Starring: Joséphine Sanz, Gabrielle Sanz, Nina Meurisse
Director: Céline Sciamma
Language: French
Genre(s): Drama, Fantasy


A thorough, spoiler-filled content guide can be found here.

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"Petite Maman becomes a profound meditation on inheritance."

— Aimee Knight, Little White Lies

"Goes straight into my list of the greatest films ever made for children of all ages."

— Mark Kermode, Observer (UK)

"This is an arrestingly original and alive creation that offers acute observations and unexpected grace notes."

— Todd McCarthy, Deadline Hollywood Daily

"Be careful with Petite Maman; the movie is small and quiet, but if you let your guard down, it might devastate you."

— Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm

"Céline Sciamma’s beautiful fairytale reverie is occasioned by the dual mysteries of memory and the future: simple, elegant and very moving."

— Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

"Heartfelt and genuine sentiments abound, making Petite Maman one of the finest titles of the year, one that can appeal to the (weird) kid in all of us."

— Hanna B., Film Threat

"In just 70 minutes, Sciamma has created a complete experience - a patient, emotional journey that will make you ache with the beauty and limitations of life."

— Drew Gregory, Autostraddle

"In 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."

— Matthew Anderson, CineVue

"A 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."

— Helen O'Hara, Empire

"It’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."

— Alonso Durald, TheWrap

"Petite 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."

— Mark Kermode, The Observer (UK)

"Featuring wonderful performances from twin sisters Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz, and also the cutest little murder-mystery game you’ve ever seen, Petite Maman hits all the right notes, creating an epic in miniature. Petite Maman hits all the right notes, creating an epic in miniature. One warning: It may leave you a blubbering mess."

— Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)