Döttrar / Daughters

Maja is sixteen, Hedvig ten, and Sofia eight years old when their mother, who suffers from bipolar disorder, commits suicide. The three sisters begin a painful mourning process and Jenifer Malmqvist accompanies them on this journey, both in the two years after the event, as well as ten years later. The scenes jump freely in time, just like trauma itself, an ubiquitous power that knows no chronology and lives as a spectral presence in our daily lives, permeating moments of childish play and the lives of the young women the sisters have become. To this day, they have difficulty calling their mother’s suicide and psychiatric illness by their names. They circle around the supposed stigma and their feelings of loss, experiencing a roller coaster of feelings, from shame and anger to forgiveness and love. In long talks, in shared tears, laughter, and memories, they find solace and support.