Mother
dir. Sebastian Kwidziński

First, I would like to congratulate you on making this film. I noticed the dedication to the director's mother, so if the story is indeed based on personal experiences, I admire the courage it took to tell such a difficult and intimate story.

One of the film's greatest strengths is its cast. Piotr Witkowski, Magdalena Maścianica, and Aleksander Szachniewicz all deliver compelling performances. Maria Pakulnis, as always, demonstrates her remarkable talent, although I felt that the character she was given was written rather one-dimensionally. The grandmother functions primarily as "the villain," whereas I believe she could have been portrayed as a far more complex and deeply human character.

As a mother, she has every right to deny the fact that her son abused his wife and child. She also has every right to feel anger toward her daughter-in-law, who killed him in self-defense, even if she has already served her sentence. A story about the grandmother gradually confronting the truth about her son and eventually understanding her daughter-in-law's perspective could have been incredibly powerful. Of course, that kind of emotional journey would require a feature-length film. In a short film, however, I would reduce her role and treat her more as an obstacle than as the main antagonist. The true antagonist here is domestic violence itself and the tragedy it leaves behind.

I was particularly impressed by the direction of the violent scenes. They are disturbing, emotionally honest, and never feel artificial. It is clear that the director is telling a story that genuinely matters to him. At the same time, I felt the film falls into a common trap of many debut projects: it tries to do too much at once. Different genres and visual languages are blended. Alongside a grounded drama, there are moments that resemble horror, while some camera choices feel as though they belong to an entirely different film. Rather than intensifying the emotions, these stylistic shifts pull the audience out of the story.

A short film demands enormous discipline. If the opening minutes establish a psychological drama, I believe the film should remain faithful to that language throughout. The story itself is already devastating enough. A woman trying to rebuild her relationship with her son after killing his abusive father in self-defense is inherently dramatic. It does not require heightened music or overly expressive cinematography to make us feel its emotional weight. Sometimes less truly is more.

Most of my reservations concern the editing. I believe this film would have had an even stronger impact if it had been shorter and more focused. I would significantly reduce the grandmother's storyline, especially the scene in which the school calls her office. That sequence feels unnecessary, as does the secretary, whose presence introduces a tone that does not fit the rest of the film. Moments like these distract from the emotional core of the story.

For me, the relationship between the mother and her son is by far the film's strongest element. That is where the heart of the story lies, and I would build the entire film around that relationship.

I also felt that the film has several endings. Emotionally, it reaches its conclusion when the mother finally tells her son the truth, takes responsibility for her actions, and he embraces her. It is an incredibly moving moment. If anything, I would only add the later scene in which she forgives her husband for hitting her. In the context of everything that follows, it becomes a heartbreaking reminder of how domestic violence often begins with a single act that is forgiven too easily, ultimately leading to tragedy. Ending the film there would leave the audience with a powerful and lasting reflectio

I would also make the scenes of violence against the child less explicit. The moment when the father lifts the bed is enough. Later, I would revisit those events only through the boy's fragmented memories—for example, brief flashes of his drunken father looking under the bed and trying to drag him out. Typically, what the audience imagines is far more terrifying than what is shown directly.

I also had the impression that the director found it difficult to let go of certain scenes, which is something that frequently happens when directors edit their films. Sometimes it is worth entrusting the material to another editor who can look at it with fresh eyes and identify what is truly essential. I see a great deal of potential here. Had the story been edited more tightly around the relationship between the mother and her son, it could have become an exceptionally moving film. As it stands, the additional subplots, explanatory scenes, and slice-of-life moments occasionally dilute the emotional impact.

If this story is indeed based on the director's own life, I think it is worth remembering one important thing: films are ultimately made for the audience. Ironically, the more a filmmaker can step away from recreating personal memories exactly as they happened and instead leave space for viewers to bring their own emotions and interpretations, the more universal and powerful the story becomes.

Finally, one small detail that nevertheless stood out to me. As someone who enjoys football, I immediately noticed that the boy is playing in sneakers during training while all the other children are wearing football boots. Small details like this may seem insignificant, but they contribute to the credibility of the world on screen. Perhaps the grandmother could have bought him an old or poorly fitting pair instead, which would have been both more believable and more revealing of their relationship.

This is an important film, and what stands out most is the director's honesty and emotional sincerity. That is precisely why it is a shame that, at times, the film weakens its impact through an excess of stylistic choices. I sincerely hope that in future projects the director will trust simplicity and narrative discipline even more, because I believe that is where the greatest strength of his filmmaking lies. I will certainly look forward to seeing his next films

Review by Elzbieta Benkowska

5/10