Ma Mère (My Mom)

by Christophe Honoré

Ma mère takes place in the Canary Islands, where the film’s family shares a home. The mother, Hélène (Isabelle Huppert), cool and in charge, and her teenage son Pierre (Louis Garrel), a pious Catholic back from boarding school, discuss his father’s infidelity; the next thing they hear, he is dead in a car crash. Hélène launches into a wild series of parties, gradually involving her son in her drugging, drinking and sex-fuelled nights out.

When she mysteriously goes away, her son is left in the care of her mistress Réa (Joana Preiss) and Hansi (Emma de Caunes), an icy blonde sadist with whom he falls in love. As the film evolves, we realize that this is a period of initiation for the young man until his mother can return and fully bring him to sexual maturity and adulthood.

  • Christophe Honoré (born April 10, 1970) is a prominent French writer, film director, and playwright. Known for emotionally raw, literate works exploring identity and relationships, his notable films include Love Songs (Les Chansons d'amour) and Sorry Angel (Plaire, aimer et corter vite)

  • Year: 2004

    Country: France, Portugal, Austria,Spain

    Runtime: 110 min

    Color: Color

    Language: French, English, German, Spanish

    Subtitles: English

    Sound: 5.1

  • Crew

    Written and directed by Christophe Honoré

    Based on the novel by George Bataille

    Director of Photography Hélène Louvart

    Sound Design Jean-Claude Brisson

    Editor Chantal Hymans

    First Assistant Director Sylvie Peyre

    Casting Director (France) Richard Rousseau

    Set Decorator Laurent Allaire

    Costumes Pierre Canitrot

    Make-up Delphine Jaffar

    Produced by Paulo Branco/Gemini Films

    Co-producer Madragoa Filmes

    Line Producer Sylvain Monod

    With the participation of Centre National de la

    Cast

    Hélène: Isabelle Huppert

    Pierre: Louis Garrel

    Hansi: Emma de Caunes

    Rea: Joana Preiss

    Loulou: Jean-Baptiste Montagut

    Marthe: Dominique Reymond

    Robert: Olivier Rabourdin

    The Father : Philippe Duclos

  • Toronto International Film Festival

    Oldenburg Film Festival

  • “Daring!”

    —Peter Debruge, PREMIERE MAGAZINE

  • “Astonishing, Isabelle Huppert is fearless!”

    —Dennis Dermody, PAPER MAGAZINE

  • "Disturbing... compelling, Ma Mère is a fierce confrontation of the most difficult of taboos...this is powerful, uncompromising cinema!”

    —Jonathan Trout, BBC

  • "Remember when we used to sit through European existential dramas for the hot sex? Ma Mère... will carry you back to those golden days…”w List Item

    —Andrew OHehir, SALON