Parallel Mothers

In the ending of “Parallel Mothers,” Janis and Arturo travel to her ancestral village to dig up the remains of the men who were killed during the Spanish Civil War, seeking to honor their memories and uncover her own roots. As they unveil the graves, they find not only the bones of the ancestors but also a stark reminder of Spain’s traumatic past. The scene culminates with the emotional revelation that Cecilia’s remains are actually those of Ana’s deceased baby, whom she thought had died in her sleep. This leads Janis to realize that the girl she has been raising isn’t her biological daughter after all—her own daughter, Cecilia, is actually Ana’s, and she’s been living with a swapped baby since birth. Despite feeling devastated, Janis keeps the truth secret, choosing to protect Cecilia’s identity and her own emotional well-being. Meanwhile, Ana, overwhelmed by her grief and betrayal, decides to leave Janis and Cecilia behind, returning to her family home.

The film then explores the tragic history of the Spanish Civil War, linking personal stories to collective trauma, with both women wrestling with their painful secrets and complex identities. In the final moments, Janis is shown pregnant again, and they all gather at the grave site for the funeral of the buried soldiers, where the camera reveals the intertwined fates of the characters, including the haunting image of the graves as a trench. The scene’s surreal, melodramatic tone underscores the ongoing presence of Spain’s brutal history in their lives. The film closes with a quote from Eduardo Galeano, emphasizing the enduring impact of the past and the collective memory of trauma. Overall, the ending reveals that the characters’ tangled personal histories are deeply connected to Spain’s history of repression and violence, leaving viewers contemplating the enduring scars of history on individual lives.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:57