— Synopsis

Struggling for a place in a recomposed family, a young boy escapes to his irresponsible dad and con artist grandma and delves into a life of petty crime.

— Director’s Statement

Pufferfish came to me as I was welcoming my second daughter and exorcising my own demons, reflecting on the whys and how of transgenerational traumas and toxic family dynamics. This is a semi-autobiographic story I’m writing to explore the different facets of parenthood while keeping away from the notion of the “good” or “bad” parent. At its core, the film is about a boy who strives for acknowledgment of his existence and who will need to find resilience in order to overcome hardships and grow. Embracing reality and following the rules set by adults can, from a child’s standpoint, be very violent and unfair. I wanted to make a film from the feelings I remember as a child, reconnecting with this time in life when everything is heightened and emotions, as well as despair, are overflowing. 

Pufferfish takes place in Geneva in 1999, at a time of uncertainty presiding a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse. It will be an announcement of an “apocalypse” for Martin, the protagonist, and an unveiling of a terrible truth. The city of Geneva is depicted in a very intimate manner. It looks peaceful and orderly, but a disruptive element; a circus will set its tent with a chaotic explosion of sound and colors. It symbolizes the enchantment and the glittered world children see, and the other side, the stained, dirty backdrop, the reality adults see. It will also follow the emotional state of Martin as he sets foot in the adult territory and finds himself trapped in the complications it brings.

My main protagonist, Martin is one of the many kids in a recomposed family looking for love and acknowledgment from his parents and particularly his mother Nicole. He is troubled by a learning disability and is not adapted to his environment. Another theme I’m exploring is toxic masculinity and the construct of “The man”. Gerard, the father, is a gym buff, obsessed with his appearance, having also suffered from the same lack of bonds. It’s in this environment that Martin, his son, must go on a quest to find his identity and sexual orientation. 

My story is about the little things, the little violence that we endure every day, and that root themselves to shape the adults and parents we become. Traumas and abandonment are like a curse passed down as if encrypted in DNA. 

I wanted to show candor, love, and hope, and how ruthlessly we tear down our youth unknowingly. There are more than 14’000 children a year abused in Switzerland and countless more in the world, and it’s unethical not to address children's violence and abuse, be it physical or emotional. I thought that maybe if we addressed issues like this more often, kids like me growing up wouldn’t be terrified when becoming parents.