“There is no truth…”
Those are the words which director Tom Fassaert hears from his 95-year-old grandmother Marianne. Fassaert grows up with a father who has filmed a lot of the most important moments in his life, from his birth till the first day of school. In a voiceover he tells how everything in his family was normal, until his grandmother suddenly showed up after a couple years. The impact of her appearing in his life was huge. This was also the case for his father, who had never talked about her at all.
In this documentary he tries to find out why that impact was so huge and which secrets are there which no one is willing to talk about. Even though the family kind of severed ties with Marianna, he decides to visit her, with his camera, when she invites him to come to South Africa. An opportunity to finally reveal the truth.
Marianne might be 95, but the former model still is full of energy and is not afraid to say what she thinks. She talks about her own youth and the choices she has made in her life. Her son, Tom’s father, openly talks about what he’s been through with his mother as well and what he wanted her to be. It obvious that he still struggles with it at age 70. Talking about the past turns out to be difficult: a lot hasn’t been said and left behind. The fact that Tom tries to unearth all of it brings up a lot of emotion.
This was the movie which opened the IDFA (dutch documentary festival) and it is clear to see why. Through its structure and masterful way of editing you are on the edge of your seat. By using a lot of archival footage from his own life Tom’s story comes alive. It is one of those documentaries which you can best watch without knowing too much about it in advance. Marianne is a fascinating person, who regularly is responsible for moments which suprise and/or shock. The truth Fassaert is looking for regularly seems to be in reach, but new questions keep popping up. It makes A Family Affair a film which will surprise you and make you curious thanks to its gripping storytelling. In short, it has all the properties of a good documentary.
