How Long Is “The Blessing”?

A woman struggling with her new responsibilities as a parent must also come to terms with her troubled relationship with her mother in this psychological drama from writer and director Heidi Maria Faisst. Katrine (Laerke Winther) has recently given birth to her first child, and she feels defeated by the experience; the new baby is cranky and doesn't respond well to breast feeding, and Katrine isn't sure what to do. Adding to Katrine's emotional woes, her husband Andreas (Mads Riisom), seemingly unaware of her discomfort, goes away on a business trip only days after she returns home, and her mother Lise (Solbjorg Hojfeldt) arrives to help out. Katrine and Lise have never had a warm relationship, with the mother making no secret of her disapproval, and as Katrine struggles with feeling of maternal inferiority, Lise's aggressive and controlling personality comes to the forefront, making a painful situation even worse for the new mother. Velsignelsen (aka The Blessing) was an official selection at the 2009 Rotterdam International Film Festival.