The Cinematheque

Canadian Premiere

“Much like Haneke’s Amour, In My Parents’ House is a tender but also unflinching look at how family dynamics can put our natural urge to help others under pressure. A triumph of subtlety, and anchored by a volcanic performance, this film deserves a wide audience.”

Marc van de Klashorst, International Cinephile Society

Holle (Jenny Schily), a therapist and spiritual healer who supports clients with a range of health problems, is faced with the pressure of having to care for her elderly parents and her older brother Sven, who has schizophrenia. Sven has been living in his parents’ attic for years, but is deeply uninterested in the family’s affairs, preferring a life of solitude. When Holle’s mother is hospitalized after a fall, contingency planning care for Sven gains urgency. Receiving little support from her other siblings, Holle is committed to helping her brother to the detriment of her career and relationship. Methodically shot in stark black-and-white, the film captures the feelings of claustrophobia and emotional fatigue that can plague unconditional caregiving. Featuring an evocative lead performance from Schily, In My Parents’ House is a meditation on familial obligation that ponders the question: who bears the responsibility when a loved one resists treatment?

In German with English subtitles

Special Jury Prize
IFFR 2025

Post-screening discussion with Dr. Randall F. White, Holly Horwood, and Bryn Genelle Ditmars.

Moderated by Dr. Paige Zhang, a clinical instructor within the UBC Faculty of Medicine.