Before an exhibition celebrating the work of a renowned war photographer, Isabelle’s—who died in a car accident three years earlier—her eldest son returns after a long absence to help his father look after his impulsive, still grief-stricken younger brother. As their anxiety and secrets are revealed, unexpected revelations are also disclosed. This story of a family burdened by death is understandably cloudy with depression and melancholia—an atmosphere mirroring their individual minds and the gaps between them—but more fundamentally, one connected to the secrets of Isabelle’s death. The mystery is gradually clarified through each character’s memories of her and her photographs, but the progression is indirect and suggestive, leaving a general sense of calm. Despite her minimal appearance, Isabelle Huppert playing the deceased woman builds the core emotions of the film, even just by her expression in a picture, and makes her presence felt. The director’s delicate treatment of the characters is more than effective for this appealing screenplay. (RHEE Soue-won)