Petite Maman

Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) has just lost her maternal grandmother. Her parents retreat to her mother's childhood home in order to empty it out. Nelly's mother (Nina Meurisse) is deeply upset by the whole process and leaves during the night without saying goodbye to Nelly.

Going out into the woods to play Nelly meets a girl her own age building a fort. The girl, Marion, is extremely friendly and invites Marion to help her. When it begins to rain Marion takes Nelly to her home. After Nelly explains that she is visiting the area after the death of her grandmother Marion tell her that her own grandmother, who was also named Nelly, died recently. Going through the house, Nelly realizes that it is her grandmother's house and Marion is her mother. Alarmed she flees and is relieved when she returns to the house and finds her father in the present.

Nelly returns a second time to the woods and sees her mother again. They continue to build the fort. Nelly learns that they are the same age and that in three days Marion is set to have an operation to prevent her from developing the same illness as her mother. Returning repeatedly Nelly is able to spend time with her grandmother and learn things about her mother such as she harbours ambitions of being an actress.

The day before she is set to depart Nelly reveals to Marion that she is her daughter and comes from the future. To prove it she brings Marion to her grandmother's house where she reveals to Marion that her mother dies when she is 31 and that Nelly loved her deeply. The two are interrupted by Nelly's father who tells Nelly that he has finished with the house and wants to return in time for her mother's birthday. Marion asks Nelly to sleep over and Nelly convinces her father to let her stay an extra night so she can spend more time with Marion.

Nelly and Marion celebrate Marion's 9th birthday during the sleepover. The following morning Marion prepares to go to the hospital. Nelly reassures her the operation will be fine. Nelly also reveals that her mother is a sad person and she often wonders if it is because of her. Marion reassures her that she does not think this is the case. The two hug before Marion leaves for the hospital and Nelly returns home for a final time.

Returning to her grandmother's house Nelly is surprised by her mother who has returned for a final viewing of the house. Mother and daughter hug.

• Joséphine Sanz as Nelly
• Gabrielle Sanz as Marion
• Stéphane Varupenne as Father
• Nina Meurisse as Mother
• Margo Abascal as Grandmother

In November 2020, it was announced Céline Sciamma would write and direct the film, with Bénédicte Couvreur serving as a producer on the film, with Pyramide Distribution set to distribute.[3][4]

Principal photography began in November 2020.[5]

Petite Maman had its world premiere at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival in March 2021, where Neon bought North American distribution rights to the film the same day.[6][7] A week later, MUBI acquired the distribution rights for the UK, Ireland and Turkey.[8] It was released in France on 2 June 2021, by Pyramide Distribution.[9]

The film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2021.[10] It also screened at the 2021 San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.[11]

Petite Maman received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 96% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 96 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.90/10.[12] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 94 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[13]

• Petite Maman at IMDb
• Petite Maman at Rotten Tomatoes
• Petite Maman at Metacritic