Freud Leaving Home

Three grown siblings gather at their family home in Stockholm to celebrate their mother’s 60th birthday, a milestone that uncovers the long-buried tensions simmering beneath the surface. The gathering centers on Rosha Cohen, a formidable Holocaust survivor who has long dominated the family with a sharp eye and a generous, charismatic presence. By her side is her husband, Ruben Cohen, an antiques dealer who anchors the household even as the personal storms swirl around them.

Their children orbit this tense, affectionate core: the daughter Angelique Cohen, who still lives at home and is known for her relentless psychoanalysis of every family member; and the son David Cohen, who is gay and lives in Miami with his partner, Mike. The family’s discomfort with David’s sexual orientation has never fully resolved, and a painful, unforgettable moment at Disney World lands squarely in the middle of the birthday celebrations when his father tells him to stop dancing around like a “ridiculous fag.” David retorts with quiet defiance: > But I am a ridiculous fag

Another child, Deborah Cohen, has charted a radically different path by embracing Orthodox Judaism and moving to Israel, a choice that intensifies the clash between tradition and personal freedom within the clan. The parents’ backstory adds depth to the present crisis: Rosha is a survivor who carried her memories into every room she inhabited, while Ruben’s work as an antiques dealer frames a house that is both a sanctuary and a battleground for unresolved loyalties.

As the birthday plans linger, Rosha drops a life-altering revelation: she has cancer and only weeks left. Her confession reframes the party from a mere celebration to a reckoning, and the idea of death itself becomes a catalyst for honest talk rather than a retreat into denial. She reveals that she had once contemplated marrying her husband’s brother, a confession that complicates the portrait of a devoted wife and mother who nonetheless walked a less-traveled path. Despite this, she insists on dying on her own terms—at home, after the party has concluded—refusing to surrender to the hospital’s sterile rules.

In her final days, Rosha nudges her family toward decisions they have avoided. She challenges Deborah to pursue the abortion she desires, urging her toward agency over her own body and future. To David, she repeats a message of unconditional love that transcends outward judgments, assuring him of her enduring affection regardless of society’s expectations. And with Freud’s looming independence—his eventual move out of the family home—Rosha signals a shift toward letting each child choose a path that fits who they are, even if it means watching them step into the world without her always-present guidance. She emboldens them to face what they are running from, to own their choices, and to redefine what family means when love, memory, and mortality press in from every side.

Last Updated: December 27, 2025 at 11:31