DocNomads film awarded in Coimbra, Portugal
The documentary short Mum directed by Siddhant Sarin won a Best Film Award in the student competitive section of the 29th Caminhos Film Festival held in Coimbra, Portugal.
Jury statement: “A mise-en-scéne amidst the narrow, messy rooms of a house positions the viewer facing the day-to-day life of a Mexican mother in a Portuguese family. With this mother-character, Siddhant Sarin follows a reflective line between the margins of observation and direction, pointing at situations of inequality of reproductive labour, urban isolation, and uncertainty. The path feels sad and enclosing, but also full of affection and strength. Along the way, small bursts of disruption indicate this mother's exhaustion in the face of a daily labour routine. MUM positions the camera in front of structuring conflicts, without a primer or an eagerness for completeness. First and foremost, it follows an experiential flow, lightly pointing to different sensations in a realm of narrative and aesthetics.”
By Siddhant Sarin (India) • 18’ • 2022
Synopsis:
Doing the household chores and taking care of her two young sons is an unescapable routine that Sandra, an immigrant from Mexico, follows daily.
It makes her feel hopelessly tired but still, her attentive care for both the sons and her intimacy with them remain unaffected.
The boys’ father, Sandra’s Portuguese husband appears to be a distant man at home. His absence is felt in his mute presence.
Amidst the backdrop of her quiet Lisbon suburban life, Sandra’s monotonous marriage reaches its climax. Hitting a definitive point of exhaustion, she attempts to break out of her normative duties of being a mother and a wife.
TRAILER here.