Osmonde is a short fiction film that portrays the last interactions of a young teacher and his eighty-four year old illiterate grandmother who, after spending eleven years of solitude in a care home, makes the decision to resort to assisted suicide. In order to make her change her mind, he undertakes to teach her how to read and write.The Film:
Osmonde is Elsa Bauverd’s fourth short film and is also her graduation project at the London Film School. The film is meant as a tribute to her grandmother who went through the process of assisted suicide in Switzerland in January 2012. The film is set in a retirement home located in the vineyards of Lavaux, overlooking Lake Geneva.
Antoine, a French literature teacher finds out that his grandmother has refused to wash or change for more than a week. As his mother Gabrielle is temporarily abroad, he is asked to visit her and convince her to let the retirement home staff do their job. But his grandmother is more stubborn than he thought, all the more so that she needs his help to write a letter to the assisted suicide organisation in place in Switzerland. Antoine, also shocked at the news that his grandmother is illiterate, refuses to write the letter. When she finally makes him understand the physical pain she suffers from he gives in, not completely renouncing the idea that teaching her to read might change her mind.
Spreading the message:
In order to spread and convey our message as widely and successfully as possible, we are aiming to screen our film around Europe within schools, Film Festivals and Art exhibitions.
Make a difference by donating to our project. Get the word out!
Please feel free to visit our crowd funding website in order to donate.