Pénélope, mon amour

“We found a home for you,” filmmaker Claire Doyon tells her teen daughter Pénélope, in the opening scene of this intimate documentary. At the end, you realise this moment was both a triumph and a defeat. Pénélope has Rett syndrome, an autistic spectrum neurological disorder that leads to an early cessation of cognitive development.

Doyon compiled this love letter to her daughter from a cupboard full of Super 8 films, DV tapes, and HD recordings. A film about Pénélope, but also about Doyon. About how hard it is to accept your daughter for who she is, instead of who you want her to be. About the demon called hope, that won’t be shut down. The film describes the journey mother and daughter undertake together. A journey to a place where Pénélope can be who she is.

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Available on Festival Scope Pro from 26 January 9:00 CET to 14 February 9:00 CET



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