
“L’éclipse de la lune rouge” exudes a surprising gentleness. It’s surprising because, on paper, the project doesn’t lend itself to serenity: director Caroline Guimbal chose to film her dying mother—and to let her speak—as they journey together through the many wounds of her past. It’s hard to remain unmoved by the stories of this woman who has been battered by life—and especially by men: from an absent husband to an abusive partner, from odd jobs to precarious employment, a succession of misfortunes has befallen her, culminating in this cancer, which has been declared incurable. Faced with the impending end brought on by the illness, the director decided to turn her camera toward her mother. Not simply to capture her final months, but also to understand, interact, feel, and connect. It is particularly through this approach that *The Eclipse of the Red Moon* is imbued with tenderness: a space for listening and an almost therapeutic dialogue emerges around the making of the film, in which her mother is an active participant, even suggesting how the documentary should end. It’s also evident in the way she films her: with love and kindness, of course, but also with admiration, seeking to capture a bit of her magic. Something luminous about the interactions between mother and daughter. Pregnant with her son at the very moment she learns of her mother’s impending death, the director transforms her doubts and anxieties into a fluid and moving narrative that is hard to remain unmoved by. Once the film ends, the gentleness of *L’éclipse la lune rouge* emerges—not as a denial or downplaying of life’s misfortunes, but as an act of resistance in the face of injustice. 10 EUROS ADMISSION for the general public 5 EUROS FOR VOLUNTEERS FROM Pass-ages and Continuing Care