Petit Mal tells the story of Anto, Marti, and Lai, who are a throuple blissfully living together in a remote house, with nothing but their beloved bundle of dogs keeping them company. When Lai leaves for a work trip, the balance is thrown off and Marti and Anto must adapt to being just the two of them.

Suddenly the dreaminess of their secluded home becomes isolating, and all they have to rely on is each other. In the spirit of honest and vulnerable openness, this semi-autobiographical blend of documentary and fiction from writer-director Ruth Caudeli is an invitation to experience the intimate details, both unique and universal, of the ups and downs and shifting dynamics in a polyamorous relationship.

Says Caudeli, “I am in a polyamorous throuple. The three of us live happily together, but it was very difficult when we started our relationship. There are no audiovisual or narrative references for us to refer to. We didn’t feel represented on screen and we felt there was a lack of diverse stories about these types of love stories. So I wanted to represent myself and my relationship on screen, and that became a way to represent diverse women as well. That’s why I make movies, to represent what is unrepresented, to show that we as women are different, complex and we need to be written by ourselves. It’s time to tell our own stories.”

Available from Dark Star Pictures.

 Petit Mal is written, directed and stars Tuth Caudeli, alongside Silvia Varón and Ana María Otálora

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.