Rester

Kay Van der Valk

Pays-Bas / 2025 / Fiction / 20’48”I2606726

Rester
1 BO Images Bande annonce

SYNOPSIS

[EN] In this stylized social-realist short film, we follow Finn, a 23-year-old boy struggling with the loss of his mother. Behind the hardened façade shaped by his environment lies an emotionally torn individual, trapped in a suffocating routine that pulls him further away from himself. His days are spent working in construction, aimlessly hanging out with friends, and leaving voicemails on his mother’s phone. Poetic messages filled with daily observations, as if she were still listening. Yet these rituals fail to fill the void. The post-industrial architecture of Charleroi mirrors his inner turmoil: gray, cold, and impenetrable. His grief seeks an outlet, but it is repeatedly overshadowed by his inability to face it. The melancholic melody of a piano piece his mother used to play haunts him like a ghost. A silent reminder of what has been lost. Confrontations with his older sister Uma and memories of times with his mother and her piano melodies slowly break through his façade. However, when Finn unexpectedly finds support in Jackie, a young woman who sees through his hardened exterior, he begins to cautiously allow his emotions to surface. Still, the path to healing demands a painful confrontation with himself and the sorrow he has long ignored. Finn’s eventual emotional breakthrough demonstrates that even in the most stifling circumstances, there can be room for vulnerability and recovery. In an intimate moment, he finally dares to acknowledge the melody of his mother’s absence. For the first time, the concrete walls seem to crack, and in the silence of a single tear, Finn glimpses hope. A first step toward healing.

GÉNÉRIQUE