Little Sparrows

Three daughters deal with the death of their mother in Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen's Little Sparrows. After family matriarch Susan (Nicola Bartlett) finds out she has terminal cancer, she makes plans to enjoy one final Christmas in Perth with Nina (Nina Deasley), a widow; Anna (Melanie Munt), an actress married to a director; and Christine (Arielle Gray), a medical student who lives at home with her husband, James (James Hagan), an actor. Chen, a Taiwanese-born filmmaker based in Australia, gives each of the offspring a separate chapter in which they spend one pivotal moment with Susan. It turns out that Anna has been having an affair with a co-star; Christine, who is gay, starts to see someone new and considers getting her own place; and Nina connects with an old friend with whom she feels a spark. Each development comments on the others, since the three have all absorbed aspects of Susan's life and personality, including her regrets. A fine character study, this is recommended. (K. Fennessy)