My father immortalised the most beautiful moments of his life in family films, while my mother’s difficulties hit the blind spot in his images. Today, I revisit these films to tell another story: the one about a woman who sees her role as a mother gradually taking away her freedom.

Dir. Faustine Cros - 66min, 2022, France, Belgium

"There comes a point in every child’s life when they start seeing their parents not solely as all-powerful protectors, but also as human beings, flaws and all. Spurred by the discovery of her mother’s attempt to kill herself, Belgian film-maker Faustine Cros revisits countless home videos from her childhood through fresh eyes. In light of what happened, these seemingly innocuous family moments lay bare the stark paradox of motherhood, where feelings of joy and entrapment collide." - Guardian

"For taking a bold look at her family, while yearning to understand her mother – any mother; For learning to see her mother the way her mother sees herself – any woman; For learning a new narrative about a family and herself. In seeking to understand a family’s pain, this film gives voice to the primal scream of women, wives and mothers everywhere.." - DOK Leipzig, Silver Dove prize for best film by an up and coming director.

"Through a clever assemblage of family footage and newly-shot material, the director has transformed a personal narrative into a cinematic work, creating an imperfect family portrait, with tenderness and humor. It is a remarkable film that blends personal intimacy and political relevance." - Ismailia Int. Film Fest, Best Feature Doc

"A searching and honest recalibration of one family’s narrative, as the director reinterprets her father’s obsessive home movies from her mother’s perspective of domestic unfulfillment." - The Film Verdict

"[Cros’s] documentary is a sensitive and sympathetic portrait of the outstanding personality of her mother. But it is also a unique and unprecedented portrayal of the destructive impact of the daily routine of motherly care.” - Modern Times Review

"A Life Like Any Other is a delicate and sensitive personal film in which Cros produces an in-depth portrait of an era, without making any judgement of her father, or men in general. The combination of archive footage, interviews and observation is exquisitely edited by Cédric Zoenen and Cros (who is herself an experienced editor) to balance the love that clearly exists in the family with the most telling, painful moments." - Cineuropa