In 2013, Chantal Akerman's mother was seriously ill. My Mother Laughs was born out of the writing practice that accompanied the experience of caring for a sick woman. While dressing, feeding and putting her to bed, Ackerman writes about family and childhood, her mother's rescue from Auschwitz, her tormented relationship with a young woman, S., and the fear of what will happen when her mother actually dies. “My Mother Laughs” is the quintessence of themes that Akerman has developed throughout her creative life. Akerman's melancholic voice, always attentive to the private and liminal, captures raw everyday life and highlights its underside, speaks of alienation and the search for foundation. The book contains photographs from Chantal Akerman's personal archive and footage from her films.