The Matriarch

Kim lives with her mother and mute younger brother in a prefab building near Germany’s Baltic coast. Behind a family shrine in their living room lies a secret space, where strangers come and go. Her mother runs an illegal trafficking operation bringing Vietnamese migrants into Europe, whilst Kim longs for something money cannot buy: her mother’s love and recognition.

When her mother’s closest associate leaves to establish a rival operation, Kim sees her chance to prove herself. As she steps into his place, the promise of approval draws her deeper into a world of violence, secrecy and shifting loyalties. Meanwhile, a first romance offers a glimpse of the life she might have had beyond the family business.

Drawing on her connection to the German-Vietnamese community, Alison Kuhn skilfully combines a coming-of-age drama with a genre-driven thriller, exploring the tangled dynamics of family, migration, and inherited expectations. With its sleek visual style, moments of raw violence, and unexpected tenderness, “The Matriarch” builds a gripping portrait of a daughter willing to go further in her search for the love of the woman she wants to become.

Massimo Ianetti