Mother of Mine

This weekend we celebrated our independence here in Finland. With the Movie Buff Sisterhood we watched a Finnish movie called Mother of Mine.

It was really interesting to hear Ashley and Claudia's thoughts about the movie, because they don't share the emotional bond with me. (They're cultural and historical background is different.)

"During World War II, more than 70,000 Finnish children were evacuated to neutral Sweden to avoid the conflict. "Mother of Mine", the latest from the award-winning Klaus Härö (Näkymätön Elina (2002)), tackles that painful patch of history in a tale of 9-year-old Eero, a child who increasingly feels abandoned by his biological Finnish mother and yet not attached to his Swedish surrogate mom. When he is returned to Finland, his confusion intensifies." Imdb

This movie...

Made us feel

Claudia: I was particularly moved to anger though, in seeing Kirsti engulfed in a trance of grief after the death of her husband. More than anything, I sympathized deeper for Eero. Even more upsetting to me, was when Kirsti completely surrendered Eero all for the sake of fear and wanting to seal her safety by marrying the German solider. Still and all, I was pleased with how each character grew and how their lives exuded integrity and resolve. 

Ashley: I really felt the most emotion because of the things that Eero had to go through. I always enjoy watching movies that involve any of the wars because it allows us to have a feel on what the families went through! 

Me: I was shocked how blind people were to see the needs of children. I was quite heart broken, actually. I also felt quite hopeless about the numbness that great losses cause.

The Characters

Mother of Mine is full of great characters. Ashley, who was your favorite?

Ashley: The most interesting character had to be Eero to me. To be sent from the only family you know to a completely distance family is scary enough! Then you pack on the war that's going on. He completely had to adjust to everything all over again. I really feel that with his mother(biological) going into that deep depression it made it hard for him to accept love from his foster mom. They both had to learn to accept and love each other. 

What about you Claudia?

Claudia: Most interesting to me was Mother Signe. She was untouchable and the most enjoyable character, in that it took a great deal of time to uncover the mysteries surrounding her personality and emotions. I couldn't understand why she rebuked Eero so harshly, but when we came to identify the reasoning behind her pain, it all made perfect sense and I immediately fell in love with her courage and decision to love Eero. Did you cry when she was separated from Eero!? Oh my word, such a gripping movie!

Did I cry? I was sobbing when she ran after the car. But I have to agree with both of you. Eero and Signe were the most interesting characters.

What is war like in this movie? How is it discussed and described?

Claudia: The ambiance of war is inescapable, right from the opening sequence. We see the disarray and fear that WWII evoked; it was overwhelming and at times, difficult to watch. I was heartbroken for both Kristi and Mother Signe, having lost a child each in their own way, and the children! Oh my gosh, I was completely undone when I saw the children separated from their mother's. I honestly do not know what I would do given the circumstances. I want to say that I would hold on to my babies, and avoid giving them up all together, but then again, would that be selfish in my part?

Ashley:  Watching the horrors of the war is always difficult to watch. The pain of losing a loved one, getting uprooted from your family, losing your way of life, and your town being destroyed!! I think we need these types of things because it allows us to grow from them and learn them. It lets you appreciate what you have now!

I think that Mother of Mine talked about war in a refreshing way. We couldn't see it, but we could hear and feel it. We were able to see that war follows a human being for the rest of his or her life.

Have you seen Mother of Mine? We'd love to hear your thoughts!


Our next Movie Buff Sisterhood movie is Miracle on the 34th Street December 15.