INITIATION

This project is a conversation with my daughter Sofia, who has Down syndrome. With her help, we reconstruct her arrival in my life. In order to better feel each other's emotions we exchanged our roles. I honestly told Sofia how I experienced the acceptance of her Down syndrome, and later her concomitant diseases, and she masterfully played out the situation for my camera. At the same time, I played her role, staging scenes as I remember them.

When my daughter was born, I was 24 and I knew nothing about Down syndrome. Experienced obstetricians saw her diagnosis immediately at birth, and a few days later it was confirmed by a blood test. Nobody could tell me how to live with that unexpected event but they said I could go away and leave her behind in the maternity. There would be no questions. Today my daughter is a beautiful young woman yet her disability will always be a part of our lives. She is now old enough to ask me what her birth was like. And when I tell her about how she came into the world, I always think of the Down syndrome babies abandoned by frightened young parents. Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic anomalies in the world. However, prenatal diagnosis has made the birth of such children relatively rare: in France, 96% of mothers, who find out about Down syndrome during pregnancy, abort. And one in ten babies born with Down syndrome is abandoned by its parents.

Me and my daughter are often told that we have a special connection. In this project, we give you a key for understanding of this invisible link. Initiation aims to help young parents who feel the earth slipping from under their feet because their baby has Down syndrome. I remember how difficult it was and I hope they will find their questions answered here. I also hope that my project will help viewers rethink their beliefs about people with Down syndrome. Their great empathy, incredible kindness and unshakeable vitality make our world a better place.