Mother (2019) DOC NYC 2019

MOTHER is a crushing look at Pomm, a young mother in Thailand who works as a health care aide for European patients with dementia sent to the country because of cheap healthcare costs. As Pomm cares for the mothers of foreigners she leaves her own daughter in the care of other people because the money is good.

Deeply moving and incredibly affecting MOTHER will rock your world. Working on so many levels beyond the surface this is a film that will haunt you for days after you see it. To be honest there is so much going on here I don’t know where to begin. Worse because I am seeing this in the middle of a festival crush I don’t think I’ve fully formed everything that should be said about the film. (I do think it would make a killer double feature with OVERSEAS about the training of domestic help in the Philippines)

Watching the film I was struck by the care and the humanity Pomm shows her clients. She is a caring “mother” to them even as she is a mere ghost to her own child. She really is a lovely person. At the same time I am forced to ponder our world where mothers have to leave their own children to make money to raise them, as well as the notion that in a civilized society we must send our ailing parents across the globe to get decent health care. There are no easy answers for us or the patients or the caregivers.

In a world where we rely more and more on other people to care for family members this film is a must see. Highly recommended.

MOTHER plays November 8 and 9. For tickets and more information go here