“Qui brille au combat”: Joséphine Japy’s Heartfelt Call on Disability

With Qui brille au combat, Joséphine Japy makes her directorial debut with a deeply personal feature film. Inspired by the true story of her younger sister, Bertille, who suffers from Phelan-McDermid syndrome—a rare genetic disorder causing severe disability and autism spectrum traits—the film approaches disability from within, with restraint, sensitivity, and remarkable nuance.

Co-written with Olivier Torres, Qui brille au combat tells the story of a couple confronting the challenges of raising their severely disabled daughter Bertille, 13, while their eldest daughter, Marion, 17, seeks balance through a romantic relationship. A modest, intimate family story, it focuses on connections, silences, and the ongoing adjustments required by difference.

A Work Born from Personal Experience

The film’s genesis is inseparable from the director’s family life. Joséphine Japy recalls a decisive moment: a call from her mother informing her that she was not a carrier of a hereditary gene. A profoundly moving revelation that reshaped her approach to motherhood and informed the writing of the film.

Originally titled Bertille, the feature was eventually renamed Qui brille au combat. Exploring the meaning of her sister’s name, Japy discovered it signifies “she who shines in battle” or “warrior woman”—a fitting title for a film that illuminates quiet but enduring strength in the face of disability.

Disability and Representation: A Cinema in Evolution

Premiered in a Special Screening at the Cannes Film Festival last May, the film engages with a broader discussion about the representation of disability in cinema. This conversation was already raised in 2023 on the Croisette by Italian influencer Benedetta De Luca, who called for greater openness among actors and directors to these underrepresented stories.

Two years later, Qui brille au combat emerges as a concrete artistic response: telling the story of disability without exploitation, giving it a central but never reductive place, and allowing humanity to shine before the diagnosis.

A Cast in Service of the Story

Filmed in southern France from September 18 to October 30, 2024, the film stars Mélanie Laurent, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Angelina Woreth, Sarah Pachoud, and Félix Kysyl. Their understated and committed performances complement the director’s sensitive perspective, favoring authentic emotion over dramatic effect.

On December 16, 2025, at the Paris premiere at Pathé Wepler, Joséphine Japy and Mélanie Laurent presented the film in an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie. A public moment contrasting with the film’s intimate subject, yet highlighting the collective importance of this personal project.

A Necessary Film

With Qui brille au combat, Joséphine Japy offers cinema that listens and observes, where disability is neither idealized nor sanitized but woven into the complexity of family life. A delicate and courageous debut, it helps shift public perception of difference.

“Today, I am here, releasing a film about this story, and I am expecting a child. It’s very powerful,” the director shared.

Qui brille au combat will be released in theaters on December 31. A rare film, at once personal and universal, that enlightens without ever overwhelming.

©2025 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

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Gabriel MIHAI

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