That You Are Here is a short film about caregiving. It explores the caregiving journey, the bond between mother and daughter, and the intricacies of neurodegeneration.
Based and shot in Turin, Italy, the story unfolds over the course of a single day and centers on the relationship between a daughter and her mother, who suffers from a rare neurodegenerative disease. While their relationship is very loving, it has become increasingly distant because of the daughter’s unbending approach to care, focused on routine and safety. When the mother expresses the wish to die, the daughter realizes that her mother still craves new experiences and adventures. In her death wish, she is expressing a desire for life.
This story is deeply personal to co-writer and lead actor Micòl Martinelli, whose own mother is the inspiration for the short. For 10 years, she suffered from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative disorder in which parts of the brain gradually deteriorate and die. It is a horrible disease, and the years spent caregiving for her were devastating. But there were moments of joy, connection, learning, and realizing what it means to be alive, to support each other—to be human.
Northern Italy is vitally important to this story; That You Are Here highlights the beautiful mountain landscape and the charming city but also contrasts this scenery with the often monotonous and claustrophobic reality of illness and caregiving.
