Little Ticklesby Andréa Bescond and Éric Métayer
Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau
Pedophilia is the Ultimate Abuse of Trust
Little Tickles started as a one-woman show written and interpreted by Andréa Bescond and directed by Éric Métayer. François Kraus saw it and immediately decided he wanted to produce a film based on the show. His producing partner, Denis Pineau-Valencienne, agreed and, three years later, this amazing film exists. It tells the story of Odette, an eight-years old innocent girl, who likes drawing and dancing, and is sexually abused by a very close friend of her parents. Once adult, Odette finally manages to face her childhood trauma through dance and therapy, and with the help of some of her close friends.
This film is amazing. First because it manages to speak about a very difficult topic with a lot of delicacy and a lot of empathy. The authors Andréa Bescond and Éric Métayer play very skillfully with a blurring between fantasy, memory, and reality and, through this device, explore masterfully the impact such a trauma can have on the psyche of a little girl. The film explores the difficulty for a little girl to go through such a trauma, but also the difficulty of the adult she became to deal with her past and get free from it. Dance plays an important role in the process, and the dancing sequences serve as a counterpoint and also a metaphor to the expression of some inner rage and anger that Odette, once adult, feels inside her.
Andréa Bescond interprets herself, like in the show, Odette adult, and delivers a great performance, full of delicacy, emotion, rage, and always truthfull. The other actors are also great. Cyrille Mairesse, who plays Odette when she is a girl, brings such an innocence to her character and at the same time a strength which already prefigure what Odette will then become as an adult. And Pierre Deladonchamps managed to play Gilbert, the perpetrator of such horrible acts, without judging him and by finding the inner logic of the character and embracing his point of view and its downward spiral.
This is by far the best film I have ever seen on this topic. It needs to be shown and discussed everywhere, to help liberate everyone who has been or is a victim of such a horrible act.
Directors: Andréa Bescond, Eric Métayer
Screenplay: Andréa Bescond, Eric Métayer
Cinematography: Pierre Aïm
Editing: Valérie Deseine
Sound: Thomas Gauder
Music: Clément Ducol
Cast:
Andréa Bescond (Odette Le Nadant)
Karin Viard (Mado Le Nadant)
Clovis Cornillac (Fabrice Le Nadant)
Pierre Deladonchamps (Gilbert Miguié)
Cyrille Mairesse (Odette enfant)