Family Viewing (1987)

In the heart of the city stands a starkly furnished condo, home to Stan, an avid video enthusiast entrenched in the video equipment business, his maturing son Van, and Sandra, Stan's younger lover and perceived kept woman. Their lives, marked by the glow of television screens and the hum of video tapes, are pierced by an unspoken tension – a clandestine relationship between Sandra and Van, hidden from Stan's knowledge, born out of emotional desperation. Stan and Sandra remain detached from bedridden Armen, Stan’s mother-in-law and Van’s grandmother, who resides in an underwhelming care facility after being abandoned by her own daughter, Van's absent mother. Meanwhile, Van's visits to Armen become a silent communion, their shared solitude filled with the flickering images of a television screen. As he stands on the precipice of adulthood, Van yearns for a better life for Armen than the one Stan allows. During these visits, Van forms a casual connection with Aline, a woman bound by the same predicament. Aline, the daughter of Armen's roommate, conceals her job as a telephone sex operator, a profession that hinders her from caring for her own ailing mother or affording a superior facility. As Van uncovers unsettling truths about his family, he sees a glimmer of hope for a better existence for Armen. However, this dream is tethered to Aline and her willingness to put Van's aspirations above her own needs. Amid the unraveling secrets and complex relationships, Van's pursuit of a genuine family life becomes a poignant search for belonging and redemption. Can he escape the shadow of his father's apathy and find the warmth of a true home, or will he remain trapped in the cold embrace of the video-lit condo?

Family Viewing is a drama movie featuring David Hemblen.

Family Viewing is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and it's also available on Metrograph.

It is also possible to buy Family Viewing on Kino Now.