Martina - Mot alla odds

1998

56min

Filmmaker Tom Alandh revisits the life of Martina Schaub as she turns 30. Born with Down syndrome, Martina was expected to spend her life in an institution. Her mother Berit rejected the doctors' advice and fought to give her daughter a different future. Using footage recorded over more than two decades, the documentary traces Martina's development from childhood to adulthood. Now working at a residential care home, Martina has achieved a degree of independence that once seemed impossible. As she builds a life of her own, her relationship with Berit changes, revealing the challenges of growing up in a society that has long underestimated her abilities.