His Three Daughters: Anticipatory Grief, Family Dynamics, and the Long Goodbye

Some films linger long after they end.

His Three Daughters is one of the most thoughtful portrayals I’ve seen of anticipatory grief — the experience of loss that begins before anyone has died. Set almost entirely within an apartment, the film offers a quiet, unflinching look at an extended goodbye, and at the ways families struggle to stay connected as everything begins to change.

As a grief and bereavement counsellor, I’m drawn to work that allows grief to remain complex and unresolved, rather than being hurried towards meaning. This film resists tidy conclusions, choosing instead to stay with uncertainty, difference, and the ordinary moments through which love persists.

This reflection continues over on my Substack, where I share longer‑form writing on grief, loss, death, and the human experience.

You can read the full piece here: https://substack.com/@albertsobilo