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Visions du Réel Awards "Nicole Nicole" Top National Prize
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Culture & Society

Visions du Réel Awards "Nicole Nicole" Top National Prize

From Le Temps · (6m ago) French Positive tone

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A documentary titled "Nicole Nicole" by first-time director Lauren Dällenbach won the main prize at the Visions du Réel festival's national competition.
  • The film intimately portrays Dällenbach's 55-year-old aunt, Nicole, who lives with her aging mother but desires independence.
  • The documentary highlights the challenges faced in finding adequate support for individuals with unique needs, even when they have a high IQ, and celebrates Nicole's partial move to independent living.

Visions du Réel, a prestigious Swiss documentary film festival, has awarded its top national prize to "Nicole Nicole," an intimate and tender film by emerging director Lauren Dällenbach. This recognition from the festival, known for showcasing diverse and compelling cinematic voices, highlights the power of personal storytelling.

Mon but était de mettre en lumière quelqu’un que je considère comme invisibilisé, si ce n’est dans la société mais du moins dans ma famille

— Lauren DällenbachThe director explains her motivation for making the film, highlighting her desire to bring visibility to her aunt.

The film centers on Nicole, Dällenbach's aunt, a 55-year-old woman living with her mother and yearning for autonomy. "Nicole Nicole" bravely tackles the complexities of supporting individuals who don't fit neatly into societal or medical categories. Dällenbach's directorial debut shines a light on the "invisibilized" within families, questioning why such personal circumstances are often overlooked.

On ne s’est jamais posé la question de ce qu’a Nicole, parce qu’on sait qu’il n’y a pas vraiment de réponse.

— Lauren DällenbachDällenbach discusses the family's past approach to understanding Nicole's situation.

The narrative underscores the frustrating bureaucratic hurdles encountered when seeking appropriate assistance. Despite Nicole's high IQ, which seemingly disqualified her from certain support systems, and her lack of psychiatric issues, finding tailored help proved arduous. The film illustrates a systemic struggle where state services and medical professionals sometimes fall short in providing solutions for individuals with unique needs, preferring the term "singularity" or "difference" over "handicap."

Quand l’idée de son autonomie a surgi, on a cherché du soutien auprès de Pro Infirmis et de services de l’Etat, mais on a eu de la peine à trouver comment elle pourrait être która accompagner autrement que par la famille.

— Lauren DällenbachThe director describes the difficulties in finding external support for Nicole's independence.

Ultimately, "Nicole Nicole" is a story of quiet triumph. It celebrates Nicole's progress towards independence, now partially living in her own apartment with home-help services. The film's success at Visions du Réel not only honors Dällenbach's sensitive direction but also brings visibility to the often-unseen challenges and aspirations of individuals like Nicole, resonating deeply within Switzerland and beyond.

On nous a refusé certaines aides sous prétexte qu’elle a un QI trop élevé; il nous a été proposé un suivi dans une institution psychiatrique, mais elle n’a pas de problèmes psy…

— Lauren DällenbachDällenbach elaborates on the specific reasons why certain support services were denied.
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Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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