TANGLES AND KNOTS
Mature Audiences: Mother Doesn't Always Know Best
Tangles and Knots, a film for mature audiences from Australian director Renée Marie Petropoulos, explores the complex but intimate relationship between a mother and her daughter. The pair throw a pool party at their home. Laura (Odessa Young)’s prospective friends come over, but it’s the mother Michelle (Leeanna Walsman) who garners the most attention.
It’s a hot summer day with popsicles melting by the pool. Michelle comes out with a tray of jello shots. She’s the cool mom, you know? People Laura’s age hang around the pool drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. Laura’s mom is always around, toeing the line between friend and mom. It seems the boys take more of an interest in the mom than anyone else, which leads to noticeable tension between the mother and daughter. The whole sequence of events is captured beautifully, as if you’re at the party.
The 17-minute film was shot in Australia and was part of Petropoulos’ thesis at Columbia University. There she was creating a slew of short films that explored motherhood as a way to drive a female-focused narrative. She even drew from her own relationship with her mom when writing the script.
“As I continued to explore these characters and take them to a darker, fictional trajectory, the autobiographical elements did really help to ground the story,” Petropoulos told Vimeo. (We won’t tell you what happens at the end that makes this narrative so twisted.)
If you were left hanging and wanting more, don’t worry — Tangles and Knots might become a feature film.
“I am currently in development on the feature version ‘Tangles and Knots.’ The feature dives deeper into the complex relationship of Michelle and Laura, and further explores the toxic community the pair inhabits,” Petropoulos said. “The feature also navigates the aftermath of the events of the short film and how this trauma comes to alter their bond forever. The film is ultimately a character driven portrait that further dissects themes of female identity, motherhood, class, sexual violence, and masculinity in Australian culture.
PROVOKR can’t wait to see the story explored more. For now, we will just watch the short over and over again.
