Written and directed by Heléna Antonio, 2020 marks the start of the actress’s journey behind the camera as well as in front. Antonio takes the subject of her daughter and discusses how she entered the world during a time of global disruption on a scale not seen for many years. The coronavirus pandemic, beginning in late 2019, brought fear to every country for many months as the world battled to find a vaccine. During this time of global turmoil, individual, personal stories still continued to develop against the backdrop of the pandemic. The film 2020 explores what having a child around this time means, and the depth of emotion it stirs in parents as they hope desperately for a fair and safe world for their children.
Antonio suffuses the film with a genuine spontaneity. The cinematography gives the footage a raw, grounded feeling. The choice of close-ups used also generates a sense of intimacy – a kind of bubble subsuming mother and child, creating a safe and nurturing space.
A meditation on motherhood and the life lessons that accompany. The film explores how children encourage a certain self-reflexivity, teaching us things about ourselves. Antonio suggests she comes to know her own parents better through becoming a parent herself. The voiceover she delivers is touching with a light poetic quality that corresponds well with the soft, comforting visual aesthetics
The film becomes almost like a letter to her daughter, telling her to fall in love and listen to her heart. 2020 the year was synonymous with trying to find hope and light in the darkest times, and that’s what 2020 the film tries to encourage through the lens of a maternal nurturing.