Adjusting to her new life as a mother after the traumatic birth of her son, Pénélope (Rose-Marie Perreault) witnesses a violent robbery that triggers memories of her sister’s death. Sleep deprived and sick of her complacent, selfish boyfriend Gaspard (Simon Landry-Désy), Pénélope tries to find solace and affection with her ex, Edward (Saladin Dellers), but finds herself constantly exhausted by her baby’s needs and haunted by nightmarish visions of her sister. Feeling increasingly trapped and claustrophobic by motherhood and drowning in repressed memories, Pénélope begins to act in paranoid and erratic ways as her grasp on reality begins to waver.
Nesting is a bold and mesmerizing debut feature from director Chloé Cinq-Mars, who merges oneiric imagery with visceral suspense to grapple with the myriad realities and betrayals of Pénélope’s mind and body. A tense psychological thriller anchored by an electric lead performance, the film’s unsettling atmosphere crackles with sublimated desire and subtle body horror as it explores the effects of postpartum depression with an unflinching gaze.
Best Director: Northern Excellence, Fantasia 2025
Oct 10 & 12: Q&A
Presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Rose-Marie Perreault, Simon Landry-Désy, Saladin Fellers
Canada
2025
In French with English subtitles
Sexually suggestive scenes, nudity
Open to youth
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Nicolas Comeau, Jean-marc Fröhle
Screenwriter
Chloé Cinq-Mars
Cinematography
Léna Mill-Reuillard
Editor
Elric Robichon
Original Music
Nicolas Rabaeus
Chloé Cinq-Mars
Nesting is the first feature film directed by Chloé Cinq-Mars. She has worked on numerous films, both short and feature-length, primarily as a screenwriter, but also as an acting coach, casting director, script consultant, and more.
She wrote the screenplay for the feature film The Far Shore (2018) and wrote and directed the short film The Cut (2019), which explores maternal attachment. She is also a mother.
Filmography: The Cut (2019)
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