maternal absence

His films like 'Like Father, Like Son' and 'Our Little Sister' persistently explore absent or emotionally distant mothers and the voids they leave in family structures.

Her works including 'You Were Never Really Here' and 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' unflinchingly examine maternal presence, absence, and the psychological consequences of fractured mother-child relationships.

His intensely personal films like 'Mommy' and 'It's Only the End of the World' are driven by complex maternal relationships and the emotional devastation caused by maternal rejection or departure.