I can’t imagine what it must be like for parents to lose a child. Especially at a young age. Childhood diseases can be debilitating for young bodies but the stress and torment it must places on a family must be almost overwhelming. It must be incredibly hard to move on with your life. Hope Frozen, the new documentary from Pailin Wedel, follows a couple who have a unique response to their loss.
After a long battle against cancer, Einz died at the age of two. Her father spent day and night trying to find a cure, but to no avail. However, whilst his precious daughter couldn’t be saved he still has high hopes that she’ll be able to enjoy a full and happy life in the future. After extensive research, Nareerat and Sahatorn decided to freeze their daughter in the hope that a cure will one day be found.
Along with their son Matrix, Hope Frozen charts the couple’s journey. Along the way they have to balance their Buddhist beliefs with their devotion to science. To wrestle with their consciences and consider the big questions around ‘playing God’ and messing with the natural order. Above all, Wedel’s documentary is a discussion point around morality and ethics. How far should we go to give someone life and what consequences will that action have on them, and those around them.
Hope Frozen screens again at London Film Festival on 7 October.
