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Happy Days

Ignoring burnout, Anne lovingly babysits her grandkids while driving herself to extremes to please.

synopsis

Anne (68) goes to extraordinary lengths to assist others, a trait her children exploit by entrusting her with their kids several days a week. Anne relishes her pivotal role in the lives of her children and grandchildren, seamlessly assuming an indispensable position, even in the lives of new acquaintances. Among them is Weronika, a Polish woman struggling with her past, and single mom of Roza. Anne takes them in, causing tension with her own children, while neglecting all the unmistakable signs her body gives her that the demands are too much to handle. Her heart races out of control at times, and as stress, turmoil, and guilt mount, Roza mysteriously vanishes due to Anne’s well-intentioned actions. When a panic attack strikes Anne while driving, she’s involved in a near-fatal car accident with her grandchildren in the backseat. Anne conceals these incidents and soldiers on, evolving into more of a danger to her surroundings than a source of help. Burned-out, grandkids running amok amidst a sea of chaos, all Anne can do is crawl across the floor to reach a pack of cigarettes. Eventually forced by her own children to relax at a resort, Anne isn’t even capable of swatting away the mosquito that’s draining the life out of her. Will she ever be able to see herself for who she really is?

Director’statement

Recently, I received a heated call from a friend whose mother didn’t want to commit to babysitting. She was enjoying her well-earned freedom as a retiree. In the Netherlands, as in many parts of Europe, grandparents have become highly essential to childcare. At the same time, many elderly – mainly grandmothers – are seeking help for burnout symptoms like high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias. We all seem caught in a trend of perfectionism in all areas of life: career, children, love, social life, etc. Grandparents hide their struggles not to burden their kids, who in turn overlook their parents’ exhaustion. The film delves into Anne’s absurd tragedy where subtle comments, looks and unspoken expectations lead to a suffocating vacuum in which Anne exhausts herself, to the point of physical collapse. I aim for an observational film, in an almost thriller-like style, that uses a hint of surrealism to emphasise the gap between what we show others and one’s self-image. Happy Days is a cinematic tribute to our mothers, women like Anne, who form their identity around supporting others.

TFL PROGRAMME:
ScriptLab 2023

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