In "A feu doux," director Sarah Friedland takes a humane look at old age.

THE OPINION OF THE “WORLD” – TO SEE

"To our elders and the people who care for them." The dedication placed at the very end of the credits of A feu doux , by Sarah Friedland, sheds light on the ambition of this first feature film, presented in 2024 at the Venice Film Festival, in the Orizzonti selection, and awarded three times (including Best First Film): to bring a different perspective on old age. The American filmmaker also likens her film to a "coming of old age" , as if to emphasize that learning stories should not be reserved for young people. Sarah Friedland thus intends to cut short the sole representation of old age in the mode of slow decline leading to certain disappearance. A feu doux advances by following a much less linear logic where awakening goes hand in hand with forgetting.

The film opens with Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant), an elderly woman alone at home, meticulously preparing for what could be a romantic date: choosing the outfit, decorating the table, preparing the meal... Nothing is left to chance. After a few innocuous questions exchanged with her mysterious "date" , she ventures: "Are you seeing someone special right now?" To which the man, who seems a little younger than her, replies, surprised: "I would say my wife is pretty special." It takes a few more minutes and a car ride that Ruth imagines is the beginning of a romantic getaway to realize that it is in fact her son, Steve (H. Jon Benjamin), who is taking her to live in a residence adapted for people suffering from memory disorders.

You have 60.28% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.