My Prison, Her Paradise

SYNOPSIS:

Audrey, a perfectionist, whose life is revolved around a discipline that is achieved through surveillance and the presence of boundaries and restrictions. She finds herself caught in a cycle of routine and the need to meet high expectations. Blaire, a happy-go-lucky youth whose sense of liberty is found in making independent choices and the absence of rules. 

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A split-screen is used to show the comparison between the morning routines of both protagonists as they start their day and head out for school. Audrey is awakened by her mother without fail at 8 am every day. A routine that she has grown accustomed to, Audrey steadily heads to the bath to wash up and gathers in the dining area where she waits for her family to settle down before having breakfast together. On the contrary, Blaire snoozes the alarm several times before rushing out quickly with little to no interactions with her family.

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The story continues in a classroom setting where it reveals a deeper root to the mental state of students Audrey and Blaire as they receive their test results. An undesirable grade leaves Audrey wandering in her thoughts as she dissociates from reality. Audrey gets restless as an excessive fear of being stared at starts to grow and paralyze. It feels as though she is being scrutinized for her mistakes. On the other hand, Blaire casually accepts her grade with content.

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Towards the end of the film, Audrey is seen to be watching Blaire and her friends from the window of her room in envy as they enjoy their time playing while she stays imprisoned under the supervision of her parents. 

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The key ideas depicted in the film are Semiotics, Utopia and Dystopia, and Discipline. My Prison, Her Paradise touches on three areas of the life of two typical youth; family, friends, and school. The concept of discipline comes about without excessive force through the presence/lack of careful observation and intentional guidance. Throughout the film, the use of repetition of visual motives such as cameras and eyes are used to represent surveillance as one’s way to nurture discipline.

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As habitual beings, My Prison, Her Paradise shows how a family’s way of upbringing and active implementation of discipline can greatly influence the next generation. At first glance, Audrey appears to be living in a dystopia controlled by routine and tight supervision while Blaire seems to have more freedom and holds the power to do as she pleases. The film reveals a glimpse of how Audrey and Blaire grew up only wishing to swap lives. 

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How can we strike a balance between freedom and control in a household? Isn’t the grass always greener on the other side?