A connection that spans decades can prove life changing.
 | By Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo Series Producer, Op-Docs |
Raquel Sancinetti and Madeleine Baril, two friends born 67 years and nearly 5,000 miles apart, find themselves on an unexpected journey in our new Op-Doc "Madeleine." |
From a young age, Sancinetti cherished the company of the seniors in her community. When she was coming of age, she spent a lot of time with her grandmother and treasured her humor, wisdom, openness and companionship. These experiences enriched her perspective on the later stages of life. |
Sancinetti emigrated to Canada from Brazil and began developing a documentary about the experiences of aging women. She met a Quebec woman named Madeleine Baril, then 102 years old, through a friend. It was as if they'd known each other forever. |
During the five years that followed, the two spent time together every week at Baril's retirement home in Montreal. Between a centenarian and a millennial grew a vulnerable, playful and affectionate friendship. They regularly discussed going on a road trip together; Sancinetti was eager to bring her friend outside, but Baril was happy indoors and wasn't interested in leaving. She'd say, "You can't understand why because you're simply not old enough to understand." |
As an animator and filmmaker, Sancinetti brought Baril outside the best way she could: through stop-motion animation. The Op-Doc's dialogue is from their impromptu conversations over those five years and is layered over live action and animated montages that dip into the imaginary. Their differences — markedly, Sancinetti's desire for an adventure and Baril's determination to stay put — don't pull them apart. Instead, they offer the pair an opportunity to share their unique feelings about the world and its uncertainties. |
The resulting film holds many lessons, but one of them is this: It's never too late to experience something new. |
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