Généus' starting point is her own mother's bipolar disorder, which erupted after her conversion from the Catholic to the Protestant faith. She deftly weaves traditional interviews and ethnographic observations with poetic narratives as she connects them to the story of her family and Haiti. The result is a moving meditation on mental illness and a nation's unresolved inner turmoil. "Based on my personal journey, marked by my mother's mental illness - an illness that she says is a curse of the invisible world - and my own quest for identity, I want to offer a new look at my native island and its inhabitants." (Director's statement Gessica Généus)
Documentary
51min
16+
FR
DE
EN
Comedian and director Gessica Généus (FREDA) explores the connection between voodoo beliefs, Christianity and the treatment of mental illness in Haiti
Généus' starting point is her own mother's bipolar disorder, which erupted after her conversion from the Catholic to the Protestant faith.
She deftly weaves traditional interviews and ethnographic observations with poetic narratives as she connects them to the story of her family and Haiti. The result is a moving meditation on mental illness and a nation's unresolved inner turmoil.
"Based on my personal journey, marked by my mother's mental illness - an illness that she says is a curse of the invisible world - and my own quest for identity, I want to offer a new look at my native island and its inhabitants." (Director's statement Gessica Généus)