Year: 2021
Runtime: 120 min
Language: Spanish
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
In a hospital room, Janis, an energetic photographer, and Ana, a young woman with a more cautious nature, unexpectedly meet and forge a friendship while awaiting the birth of their children. As they share their experiences and anxieties surrounding motherhood, their bond deepens, intertwining their lives in unforeseen ways and revealing unexpected truths about family and identity.
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In the quiet hum of a Spanish hospital’s maternity ward, two women who could not be more different find themselves sharing a cramped room as they await the arrival of their first children. The setting—bright yet intimate, an intersection of clinical routine and personal anticipation—creates a space where the ordinary moments of labor are layered with the unspoken stories each woman carries.
Janis, a vibrant photographer with a restless curiosity, brings an energetic outlook that touches everything she sees, while Ana, a more cautious young mother, carries the quiet dignity of someone who has long been careful about the world around her. Their contrasting temperaments spark a tentative friendship that deepens as they exchange worries, hopes, and memories tied to motherhood. Through whispered conversations and lingering glances, they begin to see reflections of their own fears and desires in each other’s experiences, forging a bond that feels both fragile and surprisingly strong.
The film moves with a lyrical, almost poetic tone, letting the rhythm of the hospital’s corridors mirror the internal beats of its characters. It blends naturalistic dialogue with lingering visual moments—soft light spilling over a newborn’s skin, the subtle click of a camera shutter, the quiet sigh of a mother’s breath—to explore themes of identity, family, and the ways in which lives can unexpectedly intertwine. As the two women navigate the tender uncertainty of early parenthood, the story invites viewers to linger in the spaces between conversation and silence, hinting at deeper revelations that will unfold beyond this shared waiting room.
Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 00:25
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Parallel Mothers (2021) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline
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