What Marielle Knows

What would happen if children suddenly gained access to their parents’ inner thoughts? Without being physically present, they could hear what mom and dad say at home or at work, know what they truly think. Of course, teenagers already notice and guess a lot, but imagine if they could quote, word for word, the coarse conversations their non-smoking mother had while sneaking a cigarette break with a handsome colleague, or how their father really reacted to an annoying coworker’s bashing at the office.

Written and directed by German filmmaker Frédéric Hambalek, What Marielle Knows introduces us to a well-off graphic designer father and a team-leader mother whose teenage daughter comes home one day and starts spilling out inconvenient truths. As one might expect, this creates turbulence. The father refuses to believe in his daughter’s telepathic abilities, while the mother is instantly on guard. Above all, both parents are bewildered: how to carry on when the delicate web of small and not-so-small lies that keeps everyday life running smoothly begins to unravel and decisions must be made?

When one parent reveals that the other once considered an abortion while expecting their daughter, they have ventured deep into psychological territory—and a solution seems out of reach. Or is it?

Jaana Semeri (translated by Kati Ilomäki)