The First Woman (2020)

Eva's being allowed to go. She can leave the psychiatric institution she's lived in for six years, and move into an assisted living residence. It's a major step towards a "normal" life. Now she just has to wait until a place for her frees up. In the meantime she works on her self-confidence as well as her trust in the outside world. Our view alternates between Eva's environment from her own perspective and observing her from some distance. This compels us to reflect on how we look at people with mental health conditions, how they see themselves, and what "normal" means. When eventually a place is found for her, Eva's other ambitions come within reach: to find a job, earn an income of her own, and maybe find love? While she's taking stock of her past, she also fixes firmly on her main goal: to reconnect with the son she lost custody of 20 years ago. "The First Woman" is a film about second chances, the search for "normality" and the borderline between lucidity and darkness.