Notes for My Son

Notes for My Son (original title El cuaderno de Tomy), directed by Carlos Sorín, is based on a real story and streamed on Netflix from November 24, 2020. The film draws on the real life of Argentine architect María Vázquez, who, diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, spent roughly the last seven months of her life writing and illustrating a notebook for her three year old son (renamed Tomy in the film; his real name was Nippur). Vázquez died in April 2015 at age 43; her notebook was published as El cuaderno de Nippur and became a bestseller. Lead actress Valeria Bertuccelli received a Best Performance by an Actress nomination for the role at the 49th International Emmy Awards. Who it's for: anyone curious about an Argentine drama based on the real story of a mother who left a notebook for her son before she died, which earned its lead actress an international Emmy nomination. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a fictionalized, distanced illness drama, since this is directly grounded in a story that actually happened.