13 Nov

20:30

Rialto SILO

Faas Wilkesstraat 102A, Amsterdam

An intimate documentary following 64-year-old Patrice's journey of transition to living as a woman named Lilou after the death of his wife, and the impact on his family.

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 20:30

Rialto SILO, Amsterdam

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 10:30

Cinema the Pulse, Amsterdam

Sun, 15 Nov 2026 21:45

Kriterion, Amsterdam

Tue, 17 Nov 2026 17:00

Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam

Wed, 18 Nov 2026 15:00

Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam

A Secret Heart

More info & tickets

Why it's for qMeet

This candid and unflinching documentary offers a deeply personal look into a later-in-life gender transition. It follows 64-year-old Patrice who, after his wife's death, decides to live openly as a woman named Lilou. The film, directed by his own son, explores the complex family dynamics, the reopening of old wounds, and the journey toward forgiveness and reconnection, making it a powerful and relevant story for the trans community and their families.

Synopsis

Following the death of his wife, 64-year-old Patrice decides he will no longer hide himself—from now on, he will live as a woman named Lilou. Contact with his son Tom and daughter Manon had initially broken down after the loss of their mother, but the transition changes all that.

In his intimate debut film, Tom Fontenille closely follows his father’s journey over four years. During that time, something remarkable happens: the reserved, emotionally closed-off man gives way to a warm, communicative woman who loves to chat, enjoys cycling, and radiates joie de vivre. Beyond documenting this transformation, the camera becomes a key tool in helping the family communicate with one another again. Yet the transition is not without friction. As their worlds begin to merge, Lilou’s liberation reopens old wounds and brings unresolved anger to the surface for her children—emotions that Lilou does not always know how to handle.

In capturing the complex dynamics of his own family, Fontenille’s film becomes a moving portrait of loss, forgiveness, and finding one another again.