Sunday's Illness 2018

Anabel is hosting an extravagant dinner party when she unexpectedly spots one of the catering staff, Chiara, who happens to be the daughter she abandoned over thirty years ago when Chiara was just eight years old. Driven by a mix of emotions, Anabel decides to reach out to Chiara, wanting to understand the reasons behind her sudden appearance. Chiara proposes an unusual request: to spend ten days together. Despite Anabel’s husband and their family lawyer harboring suspicions about Chiara’s true intentions, the plan progresses after Chiara agrees to sign a document relinquishing any familial rights.

Before embarking on this journey of reconnection, Anabel shares with her younger daughter the surprising news of her half-sister, prompting her daughter to urge Anabel to treat Chiara kindly.

Chiara then drives Anabel to a secluded community in the countryside, right to the childhood home that holds so many memories. As the days unfold, tension simmers between the two women, with Chiara remaining tight-lipped about her true desires, asserting that she does not seek or wish for forgiveness from Anabel. The situation reaches a tipping point when Chiara indulges in a local party, becoming inebriated and passing out for over a day. During this chaotic episode, she offers Anabel a potent tea infused with magic mushrooms, revealing to her that she is gravely ill.

In the aftermath of this revelation, Anabel learns about the severity of Chiara’s condition while at the hospital. Upon returning home, she inquires how she might help her estranged daughter, to which Chiara responds enigmatically, stating that she only desires one specific thing. If Anabel refuses, she can simply leave. Leaning in close, Chiara whispers her request, leading Anabel to pack her bags in haste and set off for Paris, where she meets Chiara’s father. Their conversation starts off quite neutral but soon shifts towards Chiara’s troubling situation, and her father mentions that he had offered help which Chiara had declined.

Upon returning to the farmhouse, Anabel finds Chiara nearby, collapsed but conscious. In a moment of tenderness, she undresses her daughter, carrying her into the lake. Chiara reassures her, saying she is not afraid, as Anabel gently immerses her into the water, holding her submerged until the struggling ceases.