Narrative Feature | France | 2021 | French | 99 minutes
Hafsia Herzi’s sophomore feature is a tender character study of matriarch Nora (Halima Benhamed), a caretaker in her fifties who also looks after her multigenerational family, struggling to make ends meet in a Marseille housing estate. The film transcends the standard migrant story, following Nora and her family as they try to escape the broken system that keeps them perpetually indebted. Accompanied by a cast of mainly non-professional actors that won an ensemble award at Cannes, Benhamed is a revelation in her debut role. At once quietly devastating and hopeful, GOOD MOTHER is an unvarnished portrait of profound intimacy that resonates with empathetic force.
