Once My Mother Film Analysis

797 Words2 Pages

The documentary film ‘Once My Mother”, produced by Australian filmmaker Sophia Turkiewicz, depicts her mother Helen’s struggle for survival as a Polish refugee during World War Two and the process of the filmmaker’s reconciliation with her mother after her abandonment in an orphanage at a young age. In some senses, it is a story of loss and abandonment due to the miserable experiences Helen encountered at a young age. The film, however, predominantly portrays Helen’s incredible human strength on her journey of survival during the war and the complex love between Helen and the filmmaker.
Helen’s early life was very much shaped by her loss and abandonment. The greatest loss Helen experienced was the death of her parents. As she was orphaned by the age of six, it left her with great grief, darkened childhood memories and bewilderment of where she truly belonged. She eventually found her position as a labourer in her uncle’s house. After working on her uncle’s farm for two years and being denied an opportunity for education, she faced the most significant abandonment in her life: being turned …show more content…

However, because of these extraordinary events, Helen developed the skills and character to survive her refugee journey. The traumatic events and harsh conditions Helen endured and successfully overcame on her journey of survival marked her great human strength. In addition, the love between Helen and Sophia was intricate yet self-evident which survived through years despite of many difficulties. Helen’s love for Sophia was unconditional as she always treasured Sophia’s existence while Sophia’s love to Helen became more and more apparent when she came to understand Helen’s selfless love. Hence, Once My Mother is not simply a film about loss and abandonment, it is primarily a film that portrays great love and human

Open Document