Een mislukt eerbetoon aan moederliefde

What if starting a family didn't just cost blood, sweat, and tears, but literally an arm and a leg? In the absurdist universe of A Failed Tribute to Maternal Love, the desire for a child demands physical sacrifices, and stress has bloody consequences. Piano tuner Samuel desperately wants a family, but when his wife buckles under the pressure and explodes, his dream hangs in the balance. While his meddlesome mother enlists an old acquaintance to help out in her own unique way, Samuel himself threatens to crack under the strain. Yet, this surreal fever dream maintains a surprisingly light tone. It is a surreal, adult fairy tale about the illusion of engineered happiness and the hope for a happy ending amidst the madness.

A Failed Tribute to Maternal Love was previously selected for the Tiger Competition at IFFR this year. Director and screenwriter Dan Geesin—who also composed the score and created the sound effects—previously visited the Noordelijk Film Festival in 2022 to give a masterclass on his directorial debut, Sputum (2022). This year, he will be present at the screening of his second film for a post-screening discussion with moderator René Duursma.