Prodigal Sons

Kimberly Reed digs fearlessly into her family’s deepest wounds in her first film. In the beginning, there was a doctor father and teacher mother. The couple thought they were unable to have children and decided to adopt a boy. Maybe even on the very day they picked up Marc, Paul was conceived. A year later, another surprise was born: Todd.

Now there is Marc, who as a result of a car accident suffers from brain damage, Todd, who has gotten fed up with Marc’s quick temper, violence and vagaries and broken ties with him, and New York resident Paul, who, after a sex-change operation, is known as Kimberly.

The film process got its start from Reed’s need to mend ties with his big brother Marc. Obstacles include Marc’s uncontrolled tantrums caused by the brain damage. The traditional family model and its façade crumble as the siblings patch their relationships in this very direct and intimate film.

Sanna Paakkanen | Translation by Sophy Bergenheim