At the Movies: If you like Thelma and Louise, you’ll love this mother/daughter journey!

There are meetings that celebrate eternal life. However, it’s more of a reunion for eleven-year-old Lou, who can’t remember the last time she saw her mother. Raised in foster care, he will find his everyday life turned upside down by the return of the woman he has long idealized.

Selected and previewed at the 73rd Berlinale in the Generation Kplus category, the comedy-drama The Day I Met My Mother will be released in French cinemas on April 17. Dutch director Zara Dwinger’s first feature film, the film takes viewers on a truly wild journey between mother and daughter, from the Netherlands to Poland.

When Karina (Frieda Barnhardt) finally visits her daughter and takes her for a drive, Lou (Rosa van Leeuwen) is sure she’ll be home before dinner. But this, regardless of his mother’s over-excited temperament, he was determined to go straight to his hometown in Poland. Lou quickly realizes that it’s all or nothing with Karina. Reality quickly catches up with them and forces them to decide what they’re going to do to stay together…

Bonnie and Clyde, mother and daughter version

While a beautiful bond is formed between mother and daughter, showing the public fabulous moments of joy and carefreeness, Lou quickly realizes that Karina is ultimately very far from the image she had of herself and the parental figure, to the point where the roles are sometimes reversed between the two. “If at first glance this story looks like the story of a mother and her daughter, it is more the story of two children – one just grew up faster than the other. The director explains.

With a vintage aesthetic enhanced by 50s and 60s photography, Lou and Karina learn to get to know each other and discover each other, even if it tests the young girl’s confidence and hopes. “Confronting an adult outside the norm can lead to moments of great frustration and disappointment, but also moments when this madness suddenly makes life beautiful.”

With this film, told from the point of view of an 11-year-old child, Zara Dwinger wanted to appeal to viewers of the same age as her dreamy protagonist, as well as their parents and adults in general. While the film can obviously be compared to Thelma, Louise and Bonnie and Clyde due to its road movie form and the unique bond between the two characters embarking on this crazy adventure, The Day I Met My Mother is accessible to everyone from 10 years old.

“I wanted a fun story with dark themes and a setting that sometimes goes beyond reality. Sadness and anxiety go hand in hand with fun and humor. After all, that’s how real life works. For me. It’s important to share these types of stories with a young audience in a realistic way, but always keeping a glimmer of hope. .” emphasizes the director.

After its outstanding appearance at the 73rd Berlinale, this feature film was also presented, and sometimes even awarded, at many festivals such as Cannes Écrans Juniors, Arras Film Festival, Les Arcs Film Festival, but also Ciné Junior 2024 and See Ensemble (Grenoble). ), where he received the Young Jury Prize in both cases.

Discover the movie The Day I Met My Mother in theaters today.