The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly keeps opening up, its structure mimicking the awakening of its extraordinary protagonist's mind. The film tells the incredible tale of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the editor of Elle magazine, who suffered a stroke and was paralyzed by the unimaginable locked- in syndrome. Bauby’s only way of communicating with the outside world was by blinking with one eye. After many dedicated helpers teach him to communicate through this seemingly pointess gesture, he begins to produce the pages of his memoir. The result is a painful and tender portrait of a life that was ended all too soon. This film is a masterpiece of sensual and poetic cinema.