Relative

“When you think about it, everyone has been abused.” So says the mother of filmmaker Tracey Arcabasso Smith, whose powerful film Relative recounts the story of pervasive generational sexual assault within her family. Using a remarkable collection of home movies, interviews with some key family members (many refused to appear), and her own therapy sessions, Arcabasso Smith conveys a horrific story of physical abuse over generations of women in one Italian family. Enmeshed in their church and family loyalties, no one is ever prosecuted or reported, and most instances are never spoken of at all. There is a surprising discovery midway through, which is both delightful and uncomfortable. Again and again, she is told by her family to move on from her painful childhood and adolescence, leaving us to wonder if that is the best path, after all. (Woodstock Film Festival)