We grow up thinking that, once we reach adulthood, our choices are our own. However, time and circumstances begin to influence those freedoms, particularly as we age. Director by a duo of Catalan filmmakers, The Imminent AGe shows that challenge through two different perspectives.

Miquel Mas Martinez plays Bruno, an 18-year-old who takes care of his grandmother Nati (Antonia Fernández Mir), who is in her mid-80s and struggling to cope on her own. He has been supporting them both through a pizza delivery job, and ignoring the calls from an elderly care home offering Nati a place. However, when Bruno loses his job and Nati’s mental state begins to decline, he must face the prospect of losing the only family he has ever known.

The film looks at independence in two separate eras of life, through the eyes of people struggling to carry that responsibility. For Bruno, that involves piecing together the rites of passage through friends and colleagues rather than the absent parents. There are bittersweet moments involving him learning how to drive from a friend, or being given step-by-step guides to building a CV. For Nati, it’s the process of accepting what can’t be done anymore. She glares at Bruno for being upset when she forgets a frying pan on the stove, and resists stubbornly to any change. Considering how few films look at the day-to-day realities of old age, or that of younger carers, it’s an authentic and enlightening experience.

The film lacks some urgency, preferring to spend time with Bruno in particular rather than move the plot along with overly dramatic moments. This might feel unusual to many viewers who expect a moment of conflict or trauma to punctuate the routine, but once you get into the rhythm of the film it can reveal a lot about the advantages of taking steps one step at a time.

Miquel Mas Martinez gives a likeable performance, capturing the modest demeanour of someone who has had to hold things together from a young age. He has some endearing interactions with chosen family, particularly those within a drumming group he is part of. Antonia Fernández Mir ably captures the defiance of someone trying to keep a grip on things, but whose body is portraying them. It’s not always easy to watch, but it’s never anything less than empathetic.

The Imminent Age is a slice of life that shines a light on some pertinent subjects, particularly as the world’s population continues to age. While it could have done with some greater emotional impact, the assembled filmmakers succeed in showing the power in life’s quiet moments. It shows in the 24th edition of the REC Tarragona International Film Festival.