Mammoth is an extremely well-made and emotionally strong mosaic of a story that moves between two continents and various characters in the space of a few days. The film deals with the consequences of the choices we make as parents; both from a wealthy and privileged Western point of view where career, bad conscience and the time squeeze are important factors, and from a less privileged viewpoint where securing you children’s future means leaving them.

As in Together, Moodyson demonstrates a unique ability to present the child’s perspective. The story follows a young, sympathetic and resourceful family in New York, as well as their Philippine nanny who has left behind her two sons with their grandmother back home. What they all have in common is the longing for a different life and more time with their loved ones. Mammoth is an aesthetic pleasure both when it comes to sound and image. It is finely tuned and powerful at the same time. The film measures the pulse of our globalised times and hits you emotionally and intellectually alike. Most of all, though, it hits you right in the heart.

Eli Gjerde