Explore the mysterious and haunting ways activated childhood memories can play out in our adult lives.

The Lost Daughter, which premiered in 2021, is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut based on Elena Ferrante’s novel of the same name. It centers on the character of Leda, a 48 year old literature professor who is vacationing by herself on a Greek island. The entry of a large boisterous Greek American family activates memories and feelings that get acted out in ways that are both mysterious and haunting.

Olivia Coleman was nominated for best actress and gives an amazing performance. Watching a young mother in the group struggle with her young child, she is filled with memories and flashbacks of her own experience with two young daughters. The New York Times notes both the film’s “empathetic gaze alongside Colman’s spiky, heartbreaking performance.”