In 2013, Chantal Akerman's mother was gravely ill. My Mother Laughs grew out of a writing practice that accompanied her experience caring for her ailing mother. While dressing, feeding, and putting her to bed, Akerman writes about family and childhood, her mother's rescue from Auschwitz, her own tormented relationships, and her fear of what would happen when her mother actually died. My Mother Laughs is the quintessential themes Akerman has explored throughout her career. Akerman's melancholic voice, always attentive to the private and liminal, captures the raw everyday and illuminates its underbelly, speaking of alienation and the search for grounding. The book contains photographs from Chantal Akerman's personal archive and stills from her films.

Author: Chantal Akerman
Publishing House: No Kidding Press
Year: 2021
Number of pages: 168
Cover type: paperback
Translator: Inna Kushnareva
Editor: Lia Ebralidze
Age group: 18+