La Dernière Leçon

Madeleine is determined to keep her family free from the burden of unnecessarily prolonging her life. But such a notion comes as a shock to her daughter, Dianne, and son, Pierre. Madeleine's stubbornness to maintain her dignity causes fear and anger among her family, but finally acceptance and life's last lesson guide them all.
Old age and death are a part of life, but they've become very sensitive topics in modern society. Looking at a 92-year-old mother who wants to have control over her own death and the children who oppose her raises a lot of questions about how one should be able to conclude their life. When the body no longer conforms or is unable to carry out the necessary functions for a fully enjoyable life, shouldn't one be permitted to die with dignity? The way in which the film poses this question will certainly garner sympathy from the audience, but arriving at a "correct" answer is still a challenging endeavor. Entertaining and topical, the concord between the two actresses playing the mother and the daughter is especially touching. (Busan International Film Festival)