Pomm, a Thai woman, works in a private care home for European patients with Alzheimer’s in Thailand. Her mother looks after her two eldest school-age children, and her youngest daughter, aged four, lives with her ex-husband. Parallel to her story we see how, in Switzerland, a 57-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s, Maya, is being prepared by her family for the trip to the Thai care home. We follow Pomm at her work and during her visits to her children, which are both essential and frustrating. She mourns the death of a beloved patient, as well as being separated from her family, but cheers up while looking after Maya.
This observational documentary reveals the dilemmas mothers and children face, while also highlighting differences between Eastern and Western culture. How can we give our children and parents the care they really need? And what role does your own presence play in this?