My Name is Gennet

Streaming video - 2020

Based on a true story, the film tells the life of Gennet Corcuera, from her childhood before being abandoned in a reception center in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, until she became the first Deafblind person who got a university degree in Europe. Carmen Corcuera traveled to Ethiopia often, where her daughter worked as a diplomat and her son in law was the Spanish ambassador there. During her visits, Carmen spent most of her time in the Madre Teresa de Calcutta orphanage in Addis Ababa. There, she met Gennet, a 7-year-old girl who became deaf-blind due to an infection. They bond strongly and Carmen decided to adopt Gennet and take her to Madrid. Their work together helped Gennet to communicate, become an independent person, and succeed in her st...udies. In the university entrance exams, Gennet obtained a score of 7.2 (about 10) and can access university studies in Special Education. She finished her studies and became the first deaf-blind woman from birth to achieve a university degree in Europe. The film gathers her special memories, marked by her difficult process of integration and learning in a world where there was no place for people like her. Gennet is currently 37 years old and works in the only residence in Spain specialized in the care and education of deaf-blind people in Seville. She has become a point of reference for deaf-blind people from birth all over the world, such as the American Helen Keller and the French Marie Heurtin. more