Mother of Mine

What a powerful film.  I can easily say that Mother of Mine told the most intense visual story I have experienced in a long time.  It really hit me when I left class after the first day of viewing and I was still thinking about it on my bike ride home.  I guess what really hit home for me during any WWII film/presentation is that my grandpa was actually apart of it.  While this event seems so far from memory, people still living and, in this case, related to me, were there and actively apart of the events.

Also, I never know about the relocation of Finnish children to Sweden.  In my life there, has always been a heavy focus on the Holocaust of WWII and the effects/consequences of that.  So to be shifted outside of Poland, Germany and the Uk and placed in Scandinavia was eye opening.

The story was incredible sad and heartfelt.  Actually, totally unexpected.  Beyond the obvious story-line and events that took place.  Seeing the methods of transportation and communication used at that time in Scandinavia were elements that I was using to compare Scand to the US at that time.  It appeared that the technologies were very similar in those places.  Seeing the country-side of both Finland and also painted a nice picture of the landscapes in those countries.

I liked how the story was organized.  Starting with Eero as a grown up finally ready to talk to his mother and his mother distant and indifferent.  As the story unfolds, his relationship with his mother changes dramatically in many directions.  This can also be said about his relationship with his other "mother", Signe.  Thought it was interesting how those relationships played off eac other.

In the end, 2-thumps-up in my book.  Definitely a movie I will recommend in the future and an important topic to understand in the history of Finland and Sweden.
       

Mother of Mine Response

I really enjoyed the movie we finished today in class, Mother of Mine. I thought the film was done in a very interesting and believable way. The story of Eero really drew me in. It is such a "real" story. It is the way that people really would react to the complex situation.

An American version of the same movie would have capitalized on the emotions and made it far more dramatic. Instead, it was understated, straightforward, and honest. Perhaps this is a contrast between Scandinavian films and the US.

Another part of the film that I appreciated was the beautiful scenery. Skane seems like a beautiful place!

Mother of Mine

I have really enjoyed watching this film so far. It is one of the most interesting and heart-wrenching movies I have seen in a long time. It's really interesting to gain perspective to life during the war from the point of view as a child as well. The typical world war II movies are from the point of view of soldiers or generals or directly deal with battle. It's interesting to see the life of the children and families who were affected by the war as well. I can not wait to see the end of the movie and see what happens to Erro and whether or not he resolves the conflict with his mother.

I learned lots of cool things ... and then I cried

I loved the breadth of topics that the presentations covered! They gave me a much more in depth look on specific topics concerning the Scandinavian countries. I think that learning about the details gave me a better perspective on why these countries stand for what they do today.

I had no idea so many children were sent to Sweden alone during World War II. I had always heard of entire families escaping the war together (or at least sending children away to other family members or friends elsewhere.) I'm sure that many children experienced the same feeling of neglect and loss that Eero felt after his mother sent him away. I found it interesting that motherly love seemed to slowly transfer from Eero's biological mother to Signe. I'm sure that the first reunion between Eero and his biological mom will be awkward and possibly cold - but I'll probably cry anyway.

Presentations/Movie Today

I am going to attempt a double post here.

I thought the presentations were very informative. I learned a lot about subjects that I probably would have never learned about, like Swedish prisons and Finnish logging. I found that each presentation gave me enough information to get a good picture of what the subject was about and sparked an interest to learn more about it. I look forward to the next round.

Now switching gears, I found the movie today extremely enjoyable. I was hooked right from the beginning and I can't wait to find out what happens. The story line is very intense and I can't say that I've seen a movie that is anything like it. I'm pulling for the boy to stay with the Swedish family, but that's just my opinion.

Comments on the Film

I also really enjoyed the movie today. I think it's interesting to see a movie from the point of view of a child, because films usually tend to focus on the action of the war itself, rather than the widespread impact it has throughout all aspects of society. On a somewhat related note, if anyone is interested in the WWII era in general, there is a really good Danish film, called Flame and Citron, that I just watched about the Danish resistance in WWII. It's a different country and different perspective of the war, but it is a very interesting movie, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the time period and how the war affected the Scandinavian countries.