The Parakeet

Bastien is eight years old, and his mother is ill. She often has what his father and grandparents call episodes. She screams and fights, scratches and spits, and has to be carted away to specialized clinics for frequent treatments. Bastien doesnt like it when she goes, because when she comes home, she isnt the same. She has no feelings, no desires, and not much interest in him. According to the doctors, Bastiens mother suffers from bipolar disorder with schizophrenic tendencies, but he prefers to imagine her as a comic-book heroine, like Jean Grey, who may become Dark Phoenix and explode in a superhuman fury at any moment. Based on the creators own childhood experiences, The Parakeet is the story of a boy whose only refuge from lifes harsh realities lies in his imagination. In his eyes, we see the confusion and heartache he feels as he watches his mothers illness worsen and the treatments fail. Through his eyes, we see how mental illness can both tear families apart and reaffirm the bonds of love. Poignant yet playful, The Parakeet follows Bastiens struggle to accept the mother he has while wishing for the mother he needs.