Discovering This Film
For the third installment of our "Movies of the Day" series, we're featuring the French film "Amanda."
I happened to watch this movie in 2021 when the pandemic began, and I couldn't go out much. The title was "Amanda and Me," and curiously, my wife's name is also Amanda. So, without knowing anything about the story, I watched this film with no prior information, instinctively feeling like the "me" in the title represented me. This film quickly became one of my top 10 favorite movies. I believe encounters with movies and books are always unexpected.
Human Drama Depicting a Single Event with Care
In the summer of Paris, with the city bathed in sunlight, handyman David is thrilled by his encounter with the beautiful Léna. They were enjoying happy days until a sudden tragedy shattered their happiness. David's beloved sister died in the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, leaving him engulfed in deep sorrow.
Amidst loneliness and grief, he decided to take care of his niece, Amanda. He tried his best to act as a parent, but the enormous responsibility weighed heavily on young David, and he couldn't hide his confusion. Amanda, too, was struggling with the loss of her mother.
Watching this film felt like personally experiencing how people confront and recover from a real-life tragedy and return to their daily lives. After the movie ended, a subtle sensation lingered within me—something warm, yet sad, a delicate "something." Perhaps those who have experienced many things in their long lives will find more to reflect on. It's truly a wonderful film.
