Alice Denyse Matthey-Jonais – Les mouches de Beni (Direction)

Fiction / 20 min

Synopsis

One evening, Beni, a young woman, meets her 65 year old neighbour Gégé. The two women become friends and Beni invites Gégé to discover her world through a surprising adventure.

The birth of their cross-generational friendship will shed light on the complexity of bipolarity, a disorder from which Beni suffers. Music unites them and strengthens the core of their friendship.

Student's comment

Beni, a young woman with bipolar disorder, befriends her next-door neighbour, Gégé, a 65-year-old woman with a passion for her gospel choir. 

Bipolarity is a subject that touches me personally, since my grandmother Denyse, after whom I am named, was bipolar. In order to better understand this illness, I met people with bipolar disorder who helped me clarify the point of view developed in my film. This also helped me understand the importance of female solidarity for the people concerned. 

This is why I wanted to portray a relationship between two women where mutual care and support are essential. 

A colourful film to reflect Beni’s vision: I wanted the viewer to identify with her.

Alice Denyse Matthey