What’s Left Behind (2020)

Directed by: Loes Janssen | 25 minutes | documentary

Many people have to deal with it sooner or later in their lives: the death of a parent and the difficult task of emptying the (parental) home. So many things, so many memories. Having to think about what to do with all those things, when your head isn’t really set on making those kinds of emotional decisions yet. It is a universal feeling that many will recognize, whether or not they have experienced a similar situation. In the context of Teledoc Campus, Loes Janssen made the beautiful documentary ‘What remains’, about three sisters who have to empty the house after the death of their mother.

The most striking aspect of ‘What remains behind’ is immediately its strongest point: the filmmaker never points her camera at the people it concerns. We occasionally see a small part of one of the women: shoes, part of a vest or someone’s hands holding the everyday things of the deceased Vera. We do hear the sisters’ voices, but because we don’t see a face, it is not immediately clear who is saying what. There is sometimes agreement between the ladies, but also the beginning of what might turn into a fight (“You always criticize immediately”). Janssen portrays the situation calmly and calmly, sometimes letting the camera register parts of the house for seconds, such as the kitchen counter or a discolored piece of carpet, while we hear the sisters in the background.

Despite the palpable sadness, ‘What remains’ is not a gloomy documentary. It merely shows the transience of life and makes it clear that – in line with Marie Kondo’s books and TV program – the value is not always in objects – in most cases not even, but in memories. A beautiful, impressive film about a part of the grieving process that can be very important.