Hiroki Ryuichi’s film is shot through with the spirit of Greek tragedy. It’s the story of Rumiko, who dearly loves her mother Hanae but is unable to feel the same way about her daughter Sayaka. Told from both Rumiko and Sayaka’s perspectives, Motherhood parses the psychology of both women, laying bare the fractures that prevent affection from passing down through the family lineage. It’s a sad story, but one that has room in it for compassion and tenderness amid the harshness.