Our Mother's Day special
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Mother's Day will certainly be different this year for a lot of people. You won't be able to take your mother out for a fancy brunch and getting her fresh flowers might be challenging. Ann Jarvis, the American activist recognized as the founder of Mother's Day, actually opposed any form of commercialism attached to the day. If she were alive, she might be pleased to see how the pandemic is forcing us to be more creative in showing our mothers some extra love to mark the occasion. At FRIENDS, we're turning to good, wholesome Canadian content. Here are three of our picks for Canadian films on the theme of motherhood to watch together.
I love documentaries that bring us stories behind the headlines. Canadians rose to the occasion when we welcomed thousands of Syrian refugees in 2015. In Hockey Mom, we learn of what happens when the refugees are no longer in the news as they get down to the business of starting a new life. For single mother Fatma, that means getting a job, her own apartment and doing her best for her young son Majed — even if that means moving away from the protective network of her sponsors. — Shazlin Rahman
Hockey Mom can be streamed on CBC Docs.
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More than once since this pandemic started, I’ve thought about my mémère — my grandmother. Born in the 20s in Canada, she lived through WW2 (working in a munitions factory) and raised six children. I knew her as resilient and resourceful. Were she alive today I’m sure she would know just what to do. I was reminded of her while watching Louise, an animated short by Anita Lebeau dedicated to her own grandmother. It follows a “regular day” in the life of 95-year-old Louise as she goes about checking off her list of household chores, from cutting the grass to sewing Christmas gifts five months in advance. In these times of quarantine, when so many grandparents are separated from their families, there’s comfort, and humour, in this wry portrayal of a solitary senior finding meaning in a simple quotidian life. Recommended if you enjoyed NFB shorts like The Sweater or The Big Snit. — Liisa Ladouceur
You can watch Louise on the NFB's website.
In director Xavier Dolan's fictional future, a new law allows parents to commit their troubled teenagers to the care of the state. This sinister parenting loophole hovers over the film's protagonist, Diane "Die" Després as she struggles to control her son Steve, a fifteen year-old with ADHD and who is prone to violence. Their tenuous bond is further complicated when a mysterious neighbour enters the picture. This film has many volatile mother-son exchanges that left me feeling drained, but I love how it draws on themes many of us are grappling with right now: parenting under strange circumstances and leaning on our neighbours in unexpected ways. — Shazlin Rahman
Mommy is streaming on CBC Gem.