Mother(s) 2015

In the burned-out remains of a large house, Him, an acclaimed poet grappling with writer’s block, places a crystal object on a pedestal in his study, and the building morphs into a beautiful home in an edenic landscape. Mother Maïmouna Gueye awakens in her bed and wonders aloud where Him is, while renovating the house and occasionally visualizing a beating heart within its walls.

One day, a stranger called Man turns up at the house, claiming to be an orthopedic surgeon and asking for a room. That night, Man suffers from dry heaves and Mother observes a wound on his side. Man’s wife, Woman, arrives the next day. Mother is increasingly frustrated by her guests, but Him begs her to let them stay, revealing that Man is actually a fan whose dying wish was to meet Him. However, when Man and Woman accidentally shatter the crystal object, Him becomes angry and boards up his study. Man and Woman’s two sons arrive unexpectedly and fight over Man’s will. Oldest Son wounds his brother, and then flees after having his head smashed against glass by Him, leaving a bloody gash in Younger Brother’s head.

Him, Man, and Woman take the injured son to the hospital. Mother cleans up and notices strange damage to the house, including a fly, a frog, and blood that will not stop dripping. She follows the blood to a tank of heating oil hidden behind the basement walls. Him informs Mother that Younger Brother has died.

Mother and Him are roused that night when dozens of people arrive unannounced at the house to mourn the dead son. The visitors behave in rude and presumptuous ways that irritate Mother, and she snaps and orders everyone to leave when they break a sink, partially flooding the house. She berates Him for allowing so many people inside and ignoring her needs, but their argument leads to passionate love-making. The next morning, Mother announces she is pregnant, which elates Him and inspires him to start writing again.

Some time later, Mother prepares for the child’s arrival and reads Him’s beautiful new poem. Upon publication, it is acclaimed and sells well. In celebration, Mother prepares a big dinner, but more fans interrupt. Mother tries to lock the doors, but droves of fans pour inside and begin to wreak havoc, damaging the house. Him is oblivious, but a disoriented Mother watches helplessly as military forces turn up to battle members of the cult that has sprung up around Him; his publicist organizes mass executions. Mother goes into labor and Him reopens his study so she can give birth inside.

The havoc outside subsides. Him finds that the fans have left gifts and are waiting. Him tells Mother that his fans want to see their newborn son, and he does not want them to leave. Mother refuses to hand over the boy to Him, but after she falls asleep, Him takes the child outside to the crowd. They pass the baby around wildly until he is inadvertently killed. Mother finds people eating her son’s mutilated corpse. Furious, she attacks them. They turn on her and beat her savagely until Him intervenes. He begs Mother to forgive them, but she runs down to the basement oil-tank and ignites the oil, causing an explosion that incinerates the crowd and destroys the house.

Him is unscathed by the inferno, but Mother is severely burned. She asks him what he is, and he replies, “I am I” and says Mother is “home”. He assures her that nothing was her fault and resolves to take her to “the beginning”. He asks if her love still exists; with her permission, he removes her heart from her chest, tearing it open to reveal a new crystal object. He places it on the pedestal, transforming the house back into a beautiful home. A new Mother appears in her bed and awakens, wondering aloud where Him is.

I am I