The Mother and the Bear

Welcome back to TIFF! I missed this festival so much. What a great event that brings this city to life. I was able to snag a good seat for the film The Mother and The Bear which was showing at the Royal Alexandra theatre on day 2. The producers, director, and the cast came out to introduce the film and stayed for a quick Q & A after.



The Mother and The Bear follows a Korean mother named Sara who comes to visit in Winnipeg when her daughter gets admitted to the hospital and put in a medically induced coma following an accident. The public speculate it was a bear attack. The mother knows very little about her daughter's life in Canada away from her. The daughter never picks up her phone calls and they have a very estranged relationship. While her daughter is in the hospital and unresponsive, Sara must navigate life in Canadian winters by herself until she finds her own support system. Sam, the owner of a Korean restaurant, Amaya, her daughter’s friend who turns out to be her daughter's girlfriend, and Dr. Jennie at the hospital and girlfriend of Sam's son. Through these people she learns more about her daughter, strengthening their relationship.



I had no idea what this movie was going into it, which I think made it that much better. The characters are so much fun. Sara was easily my favourite character. She was such a great lead and so fun to watch. The effects are a little cheap and dated looking. For example, when the bear appears it is a very odd looking scene that feels out of place within the rest of the film.



There is a lot of intersectionality within the film, for example dating people of the opposite sex in a traditional culture or people dating outside of their culture. It’s refreshing to see a mother figure find out her daughter is gay and be accepting of the person so easily. You kind of expect her to be the opposite but she is so open to this and also helps Sam accept the white woman his Korean son is dating.


I really liked that in the end she does not necessarily end up in a relationship with Sam. It ends with her daughter waking up and Sara going on this journey of self discovery. She’s planning to travel the world, meet new people, and figure out who she is and what she wants.


Overall I loved this movie and it’s still at TIFF so go watch it if you have the chance!!