Character Relationship Map: Earwig

Characters

• Albert (played by Paul Hilton) — protagonist

  A hot-tempered middle-aged man tasked with caring for Mia. He fashions daily ice dentures for her and is haunted by dreams of his wife. Following instructions from a mysterious voice to prepare Mia fo...

• Mia (played by Romane Hemelaers) — protagonist

  A strange little girl without teeth who is cared for by Albert. Albert collects her meltwater saliva to create new ice dentures daily. Her preparation for the outside world drives the central plot and...

• Céleste (played by Romola Garai) — supporting

  A barmaid connected to Albert's life, whom The Stranger invokes while talking about the unsettling possibility of becoming someone else. Laurence also arranges better care for her. These references pl...

• Laurence (played by Alex Lawther) — supporting

  A person connected to Céleste who appears to help Albert and Mia. Laurence tells Mia not to speak, promises to take care of everything, arranges better care for Céleste, and invites Albert to stay as...

• The Stranger (played by Peter van den Begin) — supporting

  A traveller Albert meets in a tavern who claims they have met before. The Stranger questions Albert about possible shared experiences, including the war, an orphanage, and a wife, then raises the poss...

• Marie (played by Anastasia Robin) — supporting

  Albert's dead wife, whose absence and memory are part of his troubled past. During the final scene, Mia calls out Marie's name after Albert insists that Mia is not his daughter and that he is only her...

• The Dentist (played by Michaël Pas) — supporting

  The dentist who examines Mia before her departure and replaces her glass teeth with permanent implants. The dentist warns Albert that Mia may feel pain and instructs him to keep her mouth clean with s...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Albert → The Dentist (Professional Caretaker Consulted By Specialist) — The Dentist gives Albert practical instructions that extend his responsibility for Mia's post-treatment care.

  Albert is told to keep Mia's mouth clean with saltwater after the Dentist replaces her teeth.

• Mia → The Dentist (Professional Patient And Dentist) — The Dentist performs the medical intervention required before Mia's departure and warns that the procedure may cause pain.

  The Dentist examines Mia and replaces her glass teeth with permanent implants.

• Albert → Céleste (Professional Care Arrangement) — Céleste is connected to Albert's need for assistance and to the mysterious system governing Mia's care.

  Laurence arranges better care for Céleste, and Albert asks whether their masters have been informed that he needs help.

• Albert → Marie (Romantic Widower And Deceased Wife) — Marie remains a troubling presence in Albert's history and is invoked by Mia at the receiving house.

  The tavern conversation refers to Albert having had a wife, and the plot states that Marie is dead.

• Albert → Mia (Power Keeper And Dependent) — Albert controls Mia's preparation and daily care, while Mia resists his attempts to shape her behavior and later challenges his denial of their relationship.

  Albert is instructed to care for Mia, teach her how to behave outside, and bring her to a designated destination.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Mia → Marie (Unknown Unresolved Identity Link) — Mia's invocation of Marie connects her identity to Albert's dead wife, but the film does not resolve the exact nature of that connection.

  At the receiving house, Mia calls out Marie's name after Albert denies that she is his daughter.

• Laurence → Céleste (Social Sinister Friend) — Laurence acts on Céleste's behalf by arranging improved care and drawing Albert into a larger network of mysterious obligations.

  Laurence is described as a sinister friend of Céleste and arranges better care for her.

• Albert → Laurence (Alliance Reluctant Associate) — Their association is formed through pressure and uncertainty rather than trust, with Laurence becoming involved in Mia's transfer and care.

  Laurence offers Albert a place at a large empty house and invites him to come as a guest; after an angry confrontation, Albert agrees to go.

• Albert → The Stranger (Conflict Disturbed Interrogation) — The Stranger destabilizes Albert by pressing him about possible shared memories and an identity-changing past.

  The Stranger questions Albert about the war, an orphanage, a wife, and the possibility of an abandoned child; Albert denies having a wife.

Story Analysis

A caretaker prepares a mysterious girl for transfer while increasingly unstable questions about identity, memory, and family surround them.

Plot Progression

1. The Order To Prepare — Albert learns that payments are ending and that Mia must be prepared for a fixed departure date. He attempts to teach her how to behave outside, but Mia resists his control.
2. Questions In The Tavern — The Stranger confronts Albert with questions about war, an orphanage, a wife, and an abandoned child. The encounter unsettles Albert by challenging his memories and identity.
3. A House Of Uncertainty — Laurence enters the arrangement, silences Mia, and offers Albert shelter while arranging better care for Céleste. An angry discussion about their masters ends with Albert agreeing to proceed.
4. The Receiving House — Mia receives permanent dental implants before Albert brings her to the receiving house. When Albert denies being her father, Mia rejects his statement and invokes Marie.