Mothers: There aren’t enough words we could find to describe them and all they do for us. This Mother’s Day, we decided to do a compilation on a few masterpieces from different cinemas around the world that encapsulate their humility, badass energy, and their selfless love as a tribute to all mothers!
අකාස කුසුම් [Flowers of the Sky] – directed by Prasanna Vithanage
Genre- Drama
Easily tops the list of the finest films to watch on Mother’s Day in Sri Lankan cinema, because of its International Award for Best Asian Film won in 2009. In a nutshell, Akasa Kusum is the story of a mother’s search for a daughter she has never met. The film eloquently captures the feelings of a wounded child and a regretful mother, showcasing how a mother’s poor decision can damage a child’s entire life. It also emphasizes the significance of parents, particularly mothers, being active in their children’s lives as the film’s ultimate message. Hence, this movie serves as a reminder for us to be grateful for the amazing mothers we have.
The story revolves around Sandhya Rani, played by Malini Fonseka. Sandhya Rani was a film actress who was once the silver screen’s sweetheart. However, now that she is no longer renowned or wealthy, she makes a living by renting out a room in her home and selling dumplings. When this faded film star Sandhya Rani finds herself entangled in a scandal, it surprisingly raises her profile. She meets her past demons, exposing her dark side to the public, including the fact that she deserted her child in order to pursue a career in the film industry. Now that her secret is out in the open, she embarks on a journey to find the child she abandoned who happens to be two months pregnant, unmarried, HIV-positive, and is employed at a karaoke night club.
Accompany Sandhya on her quest to reclaim her daughter and see what unfolds next in the lives of the mother and daughter.
Amma Kanakku [Mother’s Calculations] – directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Genre- Drama
Amma Kanakku is the Kollywood remake of Nil Battey Sanatta, a Bollywood film. The film offers a pleasant, lighthearted depiction of a lower-middle-class mother’s hopes and aspirations for her child. And, as the ultimate message of the film, it emphasizes the notion that everyone has the right to dream, and that education has the power to transform one’s life.
The story revolves around Shanti, played by Amala Paul who is a young, widowed mother who works as a maid. She dreams of a great future for her daughter Abhinaya. However, her daughter shows no interest in studies, so in order to encourage her to study, Shanti returns to school and enrolls in the same class as her daughter.
Is her daughter’s belief that she cannot afford a higher education going to put Shanthi’s efforts in vain? or will she achieve something great, as her mother desires? This is for you to discover as you embark on this masterpiece of a movie.
English Vinglish – directed by Gauri Shinde
Genre- Comedy drama, Family
The Bollywood film English Vinglish portrays a mother’s unconditional love while also addressing how we sometimes take our mothers for granted. It’s essentially an underdog story, with the mother as the protagonist, who is forced into a corner because of her inability to communicate in English, only to prove her worth to her family in the climax. As the core message of the film, it emphasizes that a mother can alter her life, love herself, and have her family love her back.
Brought to life by renowned Bollywood actress Sridevi, plays the role Shashi who is a typical Indian upper-middle-class housewife who lives with her husband and two children and owns a modest sweets business. Her only limitation is English. She is often subdued and dismissed by her husband and teenage daughter over her lack of knowledge of the language. However, she attempts to learn the language in order to reclaim her lost respect and originality.
Will a four-week English crash course help this Indian housewife who only knows Hindi, master the Queen’s language? Watch the film to find out.
Lady Bird – directed by Greta Gerwig
Genre- Comedy drama
This coming-of-age film reveals the bittersweet relationship between a girl and her mother, and the film beautifully highlights many aspects to which we can all relate, such as arguing with parents, being rebellious, naive, feeling out of place, falling in love, and so on. The class struggle and the daughter’s attempt to take control away from her mother, who is pressuring her in an attempt to control her and make her ‘perfect,’ are the main sources of friction between the girl and her mother. And, as the main message of the movie they show the girl’s ability to see her mother for who she is; a loving, caring, but imperfect individual who will never let go of her need for perfection. Unlike most rom-coms, Lady Bird is a fresh, charming film about self-discovery through the contours of adolescence, which is fueled by brilliant performances.
The story revolves around Christine, aka ‘Lady Bird,’ played by Saoirse Ronan, who is a compassionate, strong-willed, and outspoken Catholic schoolgirl coming of age in a small town in America. Lady Bird is determined to leave Sacramento, and travel to the East Coast, where she feels the culture thrives, and escape her strained relationship with her mother. In her desire to flee, she occasionally forgets to appreciate the beauty of life in the present moment and to cherish her mother. However, in the end, Lady Bird learns a lesson that we can all apply to our own lives: appreciating the efforts of our mothers and embracing our origins. Few films adequately explore mother-daughter relationships, especially those that can evoke empathy from audience. Lady Bird is one such film, so we welcome you to watch it and witness how Lady Bird’s perspectives and views change at the end of the film.
