Petite Maman

"Experience a fairytale of wonder and innocence."

2021 1h 12m FR

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 485

DramaFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After the death of her beloved grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods. Instantly forming a connection with this mysterious new friend, Nelly embarks on a fantastical journey of discovery which helps her come to terms with this newfound loss.

“Experience a fairytale of wonder and innocence.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Joséphine Sanz
Nelly
Gabrielle Sanz
Marion
Nina Meurisse
Mother
Stéphane Varupenne
Father
Margot Abascal
Grandmother
Florès Cardo
Dame maison de retraite
Josée Schuller
Dame maison de retraite
Guylène Péan
Dame maison de retraite

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Céline Sciamma
Writers: Céline Sciamma
Languages: English, Portuguese, French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 33% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Portuguese, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Céline Sciamma, shot by Claire Mathon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Para One. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Céline Sciamma directs. Claire Mathon behind the camera. Para One scores. Julien Lacheray cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France. Dialogue in English, Portuguese, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $3.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Earned back only 33% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
4Released 5 years ago.
5Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Portuguese, French.
6Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
7Directed by Céline Sciamma, shot by Claire Mathon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
8Original score by Para One. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
9Editor Julien Lacheray shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
10Joséphine Sanz and Gabrielle Sanz and Nina Meurisse carry the top of the cast.
11Marketing tagline: "Experience a fairytale of wonder and innocence.".
12IMDB entry: tt13204490 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
13Released under 13 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Claire Mathon
Original score: Para One
Editing: Julien Lacheray
Production design: Lionel Brison
Makeup / hair: Marie Luiset
Sound: Valérie de Loof
Runtime: 72 min · 1h 12m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,100,000
Box office: $1,024,575
Return: 33% of budget
Original language: FR
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Petite Maman (2021)

Also by

Céline Sciamma

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Steve Parker2022-05-20
★ 7/10
Petite Maman is a movie about a girl (Nelly) who has just lost her grandmother and is helping her parents clean out her mother's childhood home. She explores the house and the surrounding woods. One day she meets a girl (Marion) her same age building a treehouse. They become friends and have all sorts of adventures together. As their relationship develops, Nelly realises that Marion is actually her mother who has travelled from the past to be with her. This is a surprise to both of them and themes of family, loss, and friendship are explored as they play together. The two actors playing the children are twins in real life and they have great chemistry together. They are both very natural and believable in their roles. Their dialogue often feels improvised and their scenes together are some of the best in the movie. The element of time travel is so subtle it’s almost unnoticeable. There are no special effects, no flashy sequences; just a few small, everyday things that seem out of place. This makes the story more believable and allows the focus to remain on the relationship between Nelly and Marion. My biggest problem with the movie is the pacing. It’s a bit slow and meandering in the first half, which made it hard for me to stay interested. However, the second half is much better and the last few scenes are particularly emotional and powerful. Overall, Petite Maman is a moving and thought-provoking film with great performances from its two young leads.
beyondthecineramadome2022-06-20
★ 10/10
Full review: <a>https://www.tinakakadelis.com/beyond-the-cinerama-dome/2021/12/28/somewhere-only-we-know-petite-maman-review<a> Despite what the name implies, Petite Maman feels just as grand. The story focuses on Nelly (Joséphine Sanz), an eight-year-old who has just lost her grandmother (Margot Abascal). Nelly is our entry point to the story, so we don’t always know what’s going on around her. Her grandmother seems to have passed due to a condition she’s had for most of her life, but it’s not something Nelly has a name for. Along with her mother (Nina Meurisse) and father (Stéphane Varupenne), Nelly goes to her grandmother’s home to pack up what remains of her belongings. They all spend one night in the house, but then Nelly’s mother leaves suddenly while Nelly and her father remain to finish the job. Why Nelly’s mother leaves is never fully explained, but Nelly can tell that her mother has been sad for a long time and that her leaving has something to do with that.
badelf2022-10-17
★ 8/10
One might call this a Sci-Fi because it uses time-travel as a plot device, but it's not about that at all. The real themes are truth, and the complex relationship between mother and daughter over three generations. This is a heart-warming, creative story.