A darkly comic exploration of family secrets through a telepathy twist.
Within a seemingly perfect family, the balance shifts when 12-year-old Marielle suddenly develops telepathic abilities, granting her the power to see and hear everything her parents do, even in their absence. As their most uncomfortable secrets are exposed to the teenager’s ears, Julia and Tobias find themselves in a situation of helplessness and awkwardness, confronted by the truth and their own lies. Marielle, meanwhile, swings between despair and manipulation.
A very original dramatic comedy that sharply and humorously explores the unspoken truths and hypocrisy that rage within certain families. Using the fantastical angle of a sudden telepathy, the film offers an original and scathing satire on married life.
« À chaque rebondissement, toujours bien senti, on ne peut s’empêcher de sourire, projetant sans doute notre propre lâcheté derrière les agissements du père, comme son envie de liberté derrière le comportement de la mère. »
Olivier Bachelard Abusdecine.com 19/02/2025
Berlinale - Berlin IFF 2025, 2025, de
Special Mention, Guild Film Prize Berlin International Film Festival, 2025, de
Best Screenplay, Lecce European Film Festival, 2025, it
Critics’ Award, SNCCI, 2025, it
Frédéric HAMBALEK
Born in 1986 in Karlsruhe, Germany, Frédéric Hambalek studied at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, before directing several short films screened in international festivals. His first feature film, Model Olimpia (2020) was praised for its ironic look on human relations. What Marielle Knows (2025), was selected for the Berlinale, where it received a Special Mention for the Guild Film Prize.
