Broadcast in replay until December 23 on France TV, My sister forever highlights Claire, a thirty-year-old with Down syndrome, passionate about theater. Directed by Florian Richaud, her brother by marriage, this sensitive documentary recounts the passionate love affairs, the doubts, the dreams of a young woman who aspires to more autonomy.
Faire-face.fr: What made you want to start making this film about your sister?
Florian Richaud: Claire is my sister by marriage, I have known her since she was eight years old. My first memory is that of a little girl with a great capacity to build an imagination. The first time, I didn’t see his Down syndrome at all. In this film, I tried to be faithful to this first look.
As the link between us is theater, I chose, as a starting point, to film her performing. But at one point, she stopped all artistic activity. The internship in Corsica with the Aria association, founded by Robin Renucci, in which she decided to participate gave me a good excuse to get started.
At Claire’s pace
F-f.fr : When you told her about your documentary project, how did Claire react?
F.R : She said yes without hesitation! She likes the light. In fact, it was she who set the rhythm. When she was tired or didn’t feel like it, she would say so. Filming took place over four years with one or two annual meetings.
Where things got complicated was when I showed him the first rushes. She reacted very badly to her image. She wanted to stop everything. I didn’t rush her. And then she thought about it and agreed to continue.
The reality of life in an institution
F-f.fr : You show a young woman for whom love has great importance. Love with its great joys, but also its disappointments…
F.R : Getting married is one of his dreams. It was therefore quite natural that I filmed his « mariançailles » with a young boy who lived in the same home as her, a symbolic family ceremony. Except that a few days later, Claire realized that she had perhaps made a “bullshit”as she confides in front of the camera. I wanted to show her doubts, but also her radical side which leads her to break up with this lover. She doesn’t just live in a fairy tale. It is also very anchored in reality and it is sometimes difficult to live with.
Ff.fr: You also wanted to show the daily life of a young woman with Down syndrome who aspires to more freedom…
F.R : Yes, she does everything she can to gain as much autonomy as possible and escape a little from the home where she lives with other people with disabilities. This is what these few nights in a therapeutic apartment offer him. I wanted to show the reality of life in an institution, of cohabitation with people we did not choose.
Sensuality, desires, joy of being on stage
Ff.fr: Looking back, how do you view your film?
F.R : I really discovered it when I finished it. It’s not at all the film I initially envisioned making. And disability is not the central subject. I wanted to show the woman that Claire is, with her sensuality, her desires, her generosity, her ability to draw us into her world, her joy of being on stage. But also his moments of doubt, his questions. Far from the labels that we easily stick on these people who we say are different.
My forever sister. Watch in replay until December 13 on the France TV platform.
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