At the end of the 19th century, Marie Heurtin was born in rural France to a humble artisan and his wife and is discovered to be “deaf and dumb.” When they are unable to handle their daughter’s crazy and wild behavior, her parents handed the 14-year-old’s care over to the nuns at the Larnay Institute. There deaf girls and those with other maladies are taught sign language and then become sisters. Marie was fortunate since most girls with her disabilities are sent to mental asylums. One of the nuns, Sister Marguerite (Isabelle Carré), is determined to rehabilitate Marie through the use of sign language.
Director Jean-Pierre Améris draws out exceptional performances from the two lead actresses. In publicity notes he shares a few ideas he had in mind about the drama: “The bond created between Marie and Sister Marguerite is nothing less than a nun experiencing something which, by definition, she is not intended to experience: maternal love. The film I had in mind was a luminous one. I wanted to film Marie’s hands touching animals, trees and faces, moving moments which turn out to be the invention of language and the story of liberation, a rebirth” (Film Movement — not rated).
