The Verse of a Mother's Love

Synopsis: An anxious mother, Kris (38), struggles to comprehend the strange desire her needy son has towards her. As Adrian (8) covets Kris' body and utmost attention, he begins to express his jealousy by showing animosity towards his irritable but hapless father, Charles (42). Despite working as a secondary school principal over the years, Kris realizes the irony of her situation – that she is unable to understand her own son.

Now 15, Adrian is developing into a well-built young man, and as his sexual awareness increases, his covetousness towards his mother takes on a more brazen approach. As Kris (45) tries to fathom Adrian's behavior with caution, she becomes afraid of losing him but also fears being sexually assaulted. Her relationship with her husband turns sour as she cannot resolve the distance he feels towards the family he built. Charles seeks companionship in an old flame and winds up in a scandalous rendezvous.

One day, Adrian acts on his desires and kisses Kris forcefully. He gets caught in the act by Charles, who flies into a rage, only to have his secret affair revealed. The family spirals downwards, Charles leaves the family as guilt consumes him. Kris makes a tough decision to turn Adrian into a boys’ home. On one of her visits, Kris tells him that she needs to go abroad for a while. As Adrian hands her a folded paper rose, Kris accepts the truth that she can only love her son from a distance.
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Written and directed by Angelina Marilyn Bok | [email protected]

Genre: Drama
Country: Singapore
Languages: English, Mandarin
Year of completion: Q1 2022