Marie-Francoise Theodore

Rebel in the Soul
experimental video

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I feel very fortunate to be able to engage with the world through my art. Literature especially provided me with a safe space to explore my inner self beyond the danger of my surroundings. I could trust art.

In my films, I am searching for ways to get behind the truths that underscore ordinary experience. I too, like Meta, struggle with balancing the seemingly conflicting demands of being an artist and a single mother, as well as with the nitty-gritty of what it means to be a black woman in today’s society. Which in many ways is still not very different than in Meta’s and Mary’s time. I feel simultaneously invisible and exposed. My work is about bringing two forgotten voices, and subsequently my own, to the forefront. Imparted is the gift of knowledge and the chance for greater consciousness and caring.

My goal for this work is to empower others and myself by communicating the inspiration I have received from the story of these two women to not be afraid and to live my life with the courage and strength of my deepest heart’s desire. These are the lessons I cherish and nurture in my heart, and I am sustained.

© Marie-Francoise Theodore