British director Joanna Hogg on death, mothers, and the allure of memoir movies

British director, Joanna Hogg, who debuted with her 2007 film, Unrelated, has gone on to make several other dramas including Archipelago, Exhibition, The Souvenir and The Souvenir Part II. Her most recent film, The Eternal Daughter tells the story about the relationship between a mother and daughter during the holidays and face the mortality and vulnerability of aging parents. 

Hogg first wrote the script in 2008, but felt too close to the material at the time. She felt guilty for portraying characters so closely related to her own family members and their experiences. “No one wants to talk about mortality, and I regret to this day that I was never able to have that conversation with my mother,” Hogg told reporters. “I was too fearful of it … I didn’t want to upset her by bringing it up. But it would have been on her mind, and it would have maybe been a relief to have a conversation about it. But it just didn’t happen.”

For more information see David Sims “‘No One Wants to Talk About Mortality’”, The Atlantic, December 20, 2022

Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2022/12/british-director-joanna-hogg-on-death-mothers-and-the-allure-of-memoir-movies.html