Absences

Absences255B5255D

Absences In her latest film, director Carole Laganière (East End Kids) explores four subjects, each with a different story of absence.  is inspired by Laganière’s own experiences with her mother, whose memory is slowly disappearing, as a result of Alzheimer’s syndrome.  The film also tells the story of Ines, who returns to Croatia to find her mother, Deni, who learns of his Quebec heritage following his father’s death, and Nathalie, who is desperately searching for her missing sister.  Through these stories of loss, Absences captures the experience of a void that is waiting to be filled. Of the four stories told within Absences, I was probably most interested in Nathalie’s search for her sister in Toronto, which includes a section of her desperately travelling to various bars in a cab.  Nathalie’s story is probably the most dire of the four and her search could have almost been the subject of a documentary on its own.  I was also into Innes story, who is off to see her mother for the first time in 19 years.  It is undoubtedly the most emotional of the four. I admit that it wasn’t until after watching the film that I clued into the fact that director Carole Laganière’s own personal story was one of the four.  This story stands out among the four, since it is a bit more about losing someone due to a mental condition, rather than them being physically absent.  Even though some of these stories don’t have much closure, Absences is still overall a somewhat interesting examination of loss and how it affects us. 7 | FAIR  Screenings:

  • Fri, April 25, 6:00 PM – TIFF Bell Lightbox 4
  • Sat, April 26, 1:00 PM – TIFF Bell Lightbox 3
  • Say, May 3, 9:00 PM – Scotiabank Theatre 7

61d8717dbd737f197e83017f9202a5ce?s=96&r=pg

Sean Patrick Kelly

Sean Patrick Kelly is a Toronto-based freelance film critic and blogger with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies from York University. Since founding his site in 2004, Sean has shared his passion for cinema through insightful reviews and commentary. His work has also been featured in prominent outlets, including Toronto Film Scene, HuffPost Canada, Screen Anarchy, ScreenRant, and Rue Morgue Magazine.

Affiliate Ad
Hollywood Suite

Prime Video Channels is the Prime benefit that lets you add channels you love with no long-term commitments. Only members can subscribe to Hollywood Suite on Prime Video. Cancel anytime.

Scroll to Top