Philip lives in a middle-class family with his mother and a younger sister. The movie begins when Philip disappears for an unspecified period of time without any trace and then returns home. His mother and teachers can only guess what Philip was looking for or in a state entrusted to nature. Philip who returned home is seen as a quiet figure in just a few scenes. Instead, we follow his mother, Astrid. She buys a second-hand bicycle from a man who speaks through an artificial vocal organ, visits schools on a whim to protest Philip’s disappearance, and buys a bucket at a supermarket. She is very angry with her children and wanders around the art gallery. The process reveals important information that Astrid became a widow two years ago. It is inherent in this seemingly normal family of grief that might explode at any time. When Philip is taken to the hospital for septicemia, Astrid feels the fear and guilt of failure, but does not look away from the children.
Minimalist Angela SCHANELEC’s narratives are far from the classical narratives based on causality. Rather, some scenes seem to have been combined without much relevance. Her fixed camera shows us the spaces surrounding the characters. She never offers a distinction between what is important and what is not important in storytelling.