Fanmi is a quietly devastating film, revolving around a recognisable mother-daughter relationship. As the daughter, Martine endures the trappings of her own mind, and an unexpected visit from her mother Monique emphasises her struggle. Whilst these two characters clearly love each other, each of them is unable to communicate what they need. Over time, Martine questions the reason for her mother’s visit, and her concern is reflected in the evolving soundscape, looming in the background.
Marielle Metellus and Marie-Evelyne Lessard are gentle in their performances, leaning into the stripped back dialogue. Directors Carmine Pierre-Dufour and Sandrine Brodeur-Desroisiers have stated that they wanted to “explore the long silences, the impatient glances, and the empathic looks exchanged” as a way of showing, not telling what is going on between them. This method is perfectly suited to Fanmi, highlighting the difficulty in human relationships, and the desire to conceal negativity, especially around those we love.
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The audience is privy to the whole story, witnessing each character navigate their emotional journeys and being made hyper aware of the conversation that may never happen. We reflect inward, as the characters can’t seem to put aside their differences and do the same.
As Fanmi progresses, Martine and Monique do too – in their own ways – eventually comforting each other in a display that shows how, as the directors put it “unconditional love doesn’t necessarily enable communication”. As a mother daughter duo, we can see this generational habit, highlighted more so when Monique mentions the distance from her own mother, both physical and emotional.
Pierre-Dufour and Brodeur-Desrosiers are clearly accomplished storytellers, motivated by authentic human experiences. Their less-is-more approach is confident and pays off in Fanmi, where each prolonged silence feels monstrously loud.
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