⏰ 13. March, 18:00-21:00

📍 Her Space, Strandgata 19, 0152 Oslo 

A film by Hui-Chen Huang

Documentary | Taiwanese | 88 min | Subtitles in English & Chinese

The story

Every morning, my mother wakes up well before me, prepares my lunch, and takes off.​ Every evening, after eating out, my mom comes home, washes up, closes her bedroom door, and is asleep by 9PM. 

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We live in the same space. But we’ve lived like strangers under one roof for decades now. The only exchanges are the meals she cooks for me. No hellos, no goodbyes, and no “I love you.” 

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I watch her, knowing that beneath the deafening silence lies a secret that weighs heavily on her, keeping her from speaking; knowing that behind her tightly pursed lips is a shame so overbearing that it suffocates her. One day, I finally summon up the courage to sit her down and make her talk. But am I ready to hear what she has to say? And are we ready to face what’s been buried for so long?

Director’s Statement

As a filmmaker, I’ve always told the stories of the marginalized, powerless, or underrepresented. I feel their pain, their suffering, their powerlessness, and their frustrations because those have also been my experiences.

 

But when it comes to on my own story, I haven’t had the courage or strength to utter a sound, because exposing myself is hard, asking if I’m loved is harder, and facing the truth is the hardest.

 

But I can no longer use my fears as an excuse because my role has evolved. Now that I’m a mother myself, I see my mom with a different perspective. And that new perspective forces me to reckon with my past and face my fears. I hope that this process can help both myself and my mother walk out of the shadows and away from the pain that have plagued us for so long.