TV Show spotlight
Behind the Mask
Lookkaew is a hi-so woman who is cheating on her boyfriend, Ratt. Her boyfriend catches her and walks away. When Lookkaew goes after him, she gets into a car accident and hits a girl named Natda. Lookkaew's selfish mother doesn't want to lose Ratt as a son-in-law because her daughter is in a coma and may not wake up. To fool Ratt and his father into continuing with the marriage, she has the unconscious Natda undergo plastic surgery to look like her daughter, Lookkaew. Natda wakes up and is told she is Lookkaew, but she has no memories except for what she is told by her fake mother. She also has to deal with Ratt who is angry and hurt because the real Lookkaew cheated on him. Nothing in her life feels familiar to her and even Ratt notices her personality change. Will Ratt find out the truth? Will Natda get her memories back? And what happens if the real Lookkaew wakes up?
Insights
Plot Summary
Filmmaker Kirsten Johnson turns her camera on her aging parents, who are both retired psychiatrists living in New York City. As she documents their lives, she grapples with her own mortality and the complex legacy of her family, including a past tragedy that looms large.
Critical Reception
Behind the Mask received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for its intimate and deeply personal portrayal of family, aging, and mortality. Critics lauded Johnson's directorial skill in balancing raw emotion with moments of humor and profound insight.
What Reviewers Say
An incredibly moving and honest look at family dynamics and the passage of time.
Kirsten Johnson's unique directorial voice shines through in this poignant and unflinching documentary.
Explores themes of aging, memory, and love with remarkable depth and sensitivity.
Google audience: Viewers found the documentary to be deeply emotional and thought-provoking, appreciating its raw honesty and the filmmaker's courage in confronting difficult family truths. Many highlighted the film's ability to evoke empathy and reflection on their own relationships.
Awards & Accolades
Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Fun Fact
Kirsten Johnson initially intended to make a film about her parents' professional lives but shifted focus as she realized the emotional power of documenting their current lives and her own reflections.
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