Can grief truly disappear, or does it simply lie dormant, waiting to unleash itself again? The loss of a loved one can be one of the most profoundly affecting moments in a person's life, and in Jonathan Glazer’s 2004 film Birth, Anna (Nicole Kidman) is still processing a decade without her husband, Sean. But she’s starting to move on, having found herself a loving partner in Joseph (Danny Huston) and accepted his marriage proposal. Despite Anna’s reluctance, there’s an undercurrent of anticipation as she prepares for the next phase of her life.
But one evening, at her engagement party, a 10-year-old boy (Cameron Bright) shows up at Anna’s apartment and claims to be the reincarnation of Sean. It seems absurd, but the child knows things about Anna and Sean’s relationship that he shouldn’t be able to. His conviction and knowledge find Anna questioning everything and falling back into the despair of grief as she contemplates the impossible.
