The Hedgehog

Paloma lives in a chic Paris apartment with her family, observing the world around her with a sharp, unsettled intelligence. She senses disappointment and despair in the adults she knows, even as they move through a life of luxury. Her inner turmoil sets the stage for the diary-like record she will begin to keep.

With her father's old camera in hand, Paloma captures telling moments of the people around her—the mother reliant on antidepressants, the moody sister, and the dinner guests. She treats their flaws as scenes in a larger, watchful narrative. The camera becomes her tool for processing a world she can't bear to fully inhabit.

Paloma determines that adulthood may hold only disappointment, and she fixes her escape to her twelfth birthday. She begins counting the days remaining, treating each as a chapter in a private diary. The decision compounds the loneliness she feels inside the luxurious building.

To prepare for what she believes will be her end, Paloma begins stealing antidepressants from her mother. She hides the pills, turning them into a tool for an exit she cannot imagine living through. The act underscores the fragility of her household and her fragile state of mind.

One night Paloma gives one of her sister's goldfish a pill and flushes it away, attempting to control life through a cruel test. The act shocks those who may one day learn of it and foreshadows the consequences of Paloma’s isolation. The moment marks a dangerous turn in her preparations.

Renée discovers the still-living goldfish in her own toilet and acts to save it, revealing a surprising capacity for care. The rescue makes Paloma aware that kindness exists outside her family’s glassy world. This event plants the early seeds of trust between Paloma and Renée.

Paloma begins spending time in Renée's apartment, seeking refuge from her family. She finds solace in Renée’s quiet strength and shared love of literature. Their bond grows as Paloma opens up about her own life and dreams.

Kakuro Ozu, the widowed Japanese resident, stops by to ask Renée on a date. Renée initially rejects him, hampered by low self-esteem and a fear of rejection. The moment highlights Renée's vulnerability and longing for connection.

After some hesitation, Renée accepts the invitation and they enjoy a romantic evening at a restaurant. The night fills Renée with renewed optimism about a future with Kakuro. Paloma watches the developing relationship with a mix of curiosity and hope for Renée’s happiness.

The next day, on Paloma's twelfth birthday, Renée walks into the street to scold a neighbor for dancing in traffic and is struck by a van, dying instantly. The sudden loss idles Paloma’s plans and shatters her sense of safety. The event deepens Paloma's understanding of life's fragility.

Shaken by Renée's death, Paloma cancels her suicide plan and starts re-evaluating what keeps a person alive. The tragedy forces her to see that life can end abruptly and that choosing to endure may carry its own form of resilience. She begins to entertain a future she hadn't allowed herself to imagine.

Sometime later, Kakuro moves out of the building. Before leaving, he gives Paloma both volumes of Anna Karenina, continuing a thread of literature that linked Renée and him. The gesture marks a bridge between the adult world and Paloma's new, hopeful path.

Paloma brings the Anna Karenina volumes into her own apartment along with the goldfish that Renée saved. The two gifts symbolize a new companionship with literature and a tangible link to Renée. Paloma anchors her life to what she has learned from Renée and starts to move forward.