Sentimental Value

Sentimental value is a masterclass in showing and not saying. So much so that that is the father's (Gustav's) main flaw. A grown man and a renowned director who, despite having mastered showcasing emotions on screen, struggles to do so in his own life, with his own daughters. Instead of language, this movie uses objects and homes to show how trauma and memories are carried through generations. And ironically, art is the language of this film that both Gustav and Nora use, only in different ways. Where Gustav uses his art as a way to reconcile with his daughter, she uses her art as armor against that reconciliation. But only in collaboration can art heal. Lost in her emotions and anxiety, Nora is constantly expresses emotions through art, but never her own. And only once she reads her father's script does she get to do that for the first time, just like Gustav. Art which once separated her from her emotions becomes not only the bridge between her and her father, but the bridge to her true self.