Perhaps the most uniformly respectable are the women’s professions, though it’s their devotion to these jobs that thickens the plot. Triet’s trilogy of films feature a journalist, a criminal defence lawyer, and a writer — though in the latter, Sibyl fights for this title, rejecting her empathetic obligations as a psychotherapist. They perform these jobs with as much conviction as Triet shows in her role as directress. Much like the commitment to make her films, Triet’s protagonists risk their morals to perfect their crafts, sacrificing their home lives to be as immoral as the male counterparts in their respective fields. 

When we do see their children, it’s not the fault of Triet’s directing that we’re given sparse details on their family lives — Triet intentionally leaves the family life in the background. Dishevelled and babbling babies, their kin appear as one-dimensional as the typical writing of female characters which audiences have become accustomed to. Laetitia, Victoria, and Sibyl return to their messy homes at erratic hours, closing the door to their bedrooms and focusing on their work. In these rare presentations of honest experiences, viewers aren’t presented with the typical ‘life behind the mom’ trope. Instead, Triet makes movies on complicated women, who just happen to have children. 

Over the past decade, Age of Panic, Victoria and Sibyl have asserted themselves as independent triumphs, contributing to a deeper understanding of Sandra Huller’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of a ‘bad mother’ figure in Anatomy of a Fall’s now-acclaimed success.

For the first time in Vancouver, these films are screening in a dedicated series, beginning on May 17. To understand the universal truths of a flawed woman’s life, watching Triet’s films is vital. Birthed in pursuit of the wide recognition she now enjoys, they assert themselves with unforgettable dominance. 

For tickets and more info on the film screenings being presented at the Cinematheque (Vancouver) visit thecinematheque.ca