Thea

Life for a 12-year-old Norwegian girl named Thea is defined by severe epileptic seizures that can last for hours. This film tells her story using black-and-white stills that are sometimes presented in quick succession and at other times linger. We see a loving and concerned look from one of her parents, a reassuring caress, or Thea’s armband that reads “epilepsy.” Directors Halvor Nitteberg and Elisabeth Aspelin chose this form to make palpable the gaps in Thea’s memory – those moments of lost consciousness during her seizures. Meanwhile, the soundtrack continues on. We accompany Thea to her doctor, who says that she has even induced coma to stop a seizure. “It can be really dangerous sometimes.” We watch as Thea jokes around with her friends. She has a passion for helicopters and really wants to become a pilot – perhaps unsurprising, given that her life has already been saved a couple of times because she could be flown directly to the hospital.