Being the one who doesn’t speak at school. Trying to say a word. Failing. Being alone. Powerless.
In France, it’s estimated that over 60,000 children suffer from selective mutism—an anxiety disorder marked by an inability to speak to certain people or in specific, stressful situations.

Clément, age 10, and Cataleya, age 4, are both following an educational method that has helped some children overcome this challenge, offering renewed hope to their families.

Their daily lives echo the voices of Julie and Pétronille. Now young adults, they recall the battle they fought—to rediscover the sound of their own voices, to simply speak like everyone else…