Marie's Story
At the turn of the 19th century, a humble artisan and his wife have a daughter, Marie, who is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her. Desperate to find a connection to their daughter and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins send fourteen-year-old Marie to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite sees in Marie a unique potential, and despite her Mother Superior’s skepticism, vows to bring the wild young thing out of the darkness into which she was born. Based on true events, Marie’s Story recounts the courageous journey of a young nun and the lives she would change forever, confronting failures and discouragement with joyous faith and love.
Cast
- Isabelle Carré
- Ariana Rivoire
DVD Features
Making-of Featurette\n\nIncludes Assisted Audio Track for the Visually Impaired\n\nBonus short: Motherly, directed by Navid Nikkhah Azad
Sound: Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 Surround Sound
Discs: 1
Institutional Features
Making-of Featurette\n\nIncludes Assisted Audio Track for the Visually Impaired\n\nBonus short: Motherly, directed by Navid Nikkhah Azad
Sound: Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 Surround Sound
Discs: 1
- "...this film is beautiful in its dappled-sunshine light, and powerful in the story of transformation that it tells. And Rivoire, a deaf French student who had never acted before, makes Marie both fierce and achingly vulnerable. Toward the end, we see her outside as snow gently falls; she reaches out, touching the flakes, rejoicing in something she somehow knows is joy."
- "Marie’s Story is lovely and sweet, sad and uplifting.... it satisfies them nicely with vivid performances, beautiful imagery, and compassionate direction."
- "An assured, emotionally satisfying French offering. Carré...plays her determined character with moving obstinacy and grace."
- "This joyous film stands out among cinematic offerings with not one but two important messages: a demand to respect human life at all stages, and a positive portrayal of women religious.... Director Jean-Pierre Ameris brings a rare sensitivity and poignancy to his inspirational story. The magnificent setting of the French countryside in full bloom, moreover, complements the tale nicely. The profoundly life-affirming results are not to be missed."
Awards & Recognition
Locarno Film Festival
Variety Piazza Grande Award
Mill Valley Film Festival
World Cinema Audience Favorite
Mill Valley Film Festival
Chicago Int'l Film Festival
Aspen Film Festival
Cine-World Film Festival
Three Rivers Film Festival
Palm Springs Int'l Film Festival
Locarno Film Festival
Portland Int'l Film Festival
Sedona Int'l Film Festival
Cleveland Int'l Film Festival
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