Pauline and Paulette

Lieven Debrauwer’s bittersweet, lightly humorous story about the relationship between four elderly Belgian sisters is a small film with a big heart that nuzzles such issues as old age, isolation, family responsibility, dreams of retirement and disability. Mentally and physically challenged Pauline (Dora van der Groen) is left without a caregiver when her eldest sister Martha (Julienne De Bruyn) drops dead. Martha bequeaths her estate to her three sisters if one of the siblings (Ann Petersen and Rosemarie Bergmans) will take personal care of Pauline. A crisis soon emerges with no easy solution at hand. Here the voice of humanity and, in particular, two lonely sisters retains a natural resonance that is contemplative rather than contrived, affectionate rather than gushing and modest rather than self-important.