Grappling with grief: on films that dwell on the loss of a loved one

Finding parallels between reel and real life, with films like ‘Amour’, ‘The Father’, and ‘Blackbird’ that dwell on the loss of a loved one

I used to be a huge cynic of any day earmarked for a particular topic with a well-practiced line — why do you need a day to celebrate women when they should be celebrated every single day, for example. But, having lost my father recently, June 20, Father’s Day, is suddenly full of meaning for me. Many movies are rooted in reality and for those who have opted for a career surrounded by cinema, one finds parallels between reel and real life. A few years ago, I began watching Michael Haneke’s extremely moving portrayal of old age, the Cannes, BAFTA and Oscar winning Amour (2012). My own parents were at that time relatively spry, recovering from a quadruple bypass and a double knee-surgery respectively. Even so, I found it quite difficult to watch and couldn’t help thinking about them.