A young Dominican man, Simeon, starts an internship as a caregiver at a retirement home in Ghent, Belgium. While his colleagues don't seem to share his approach to elderly care, a couple of eccentric old ladies he cares for grow increasingly interested in him. Guided by the advice of his late grandmother, who whispers occasionally to him, Simeon is forced to question the rigid perspective on elderly care that is imposed on him. Unable to draw conclusions using ratio, his exploration takes him and these remarkable women to the only place where they can always run free: their imagination.
Camille Ghekiere writes and directs documentaries with fictional freedom and fictional work with a sense of humor. With a background in history, she discovered good stories are to be found in real life. Her storytelling style is characterized by symbolism and evocation, the imminent possibility of playfulness, and a close attention to music and sound.
Her graduation shortfilm Nieuwkomers (2021) was the Winner of the VAF Documentary Wildcard and was awarded Best Short at Film Festival Oostende and Best editing at Brussels Short Film Festival. The three current films she’s working on take her from Flemish retirement homes all the way to the Indian Ocean. Camille also recently started teaching creative documentary to aspiring filmmakers.
Directed by Camille Ghekiere
Dop - Jonathan Wannyn
Sound & camera assistant - Annika Wallis
Editor - Antje Mertens
Sound design - Raf Enckels
Grader - Chiara Pontuali
Original music - Arthur Brouns & Susobrino
Postproduction facilities - Les Mecs & Sondr
Supported by Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Koning Boudewijn stichting, Emmaüs & Stad Gent
In-coproduction with VRT Canvas
With the support of the Tax Shelter System of the Belgian Federal Government
Language: Dutch, Spanish, French
Subtitles: Dutch, English