The language of the heart

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Movie
German title The language of the heart
Original title Marie Heurtin
Country of production France
original language French
Publishing year 2014
length 94 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
JMK 6
Rod
Director Jean-Pierre Améris
script Jean-Pierre Améris,
Philippe Blowband
production Denis Carot ,
Sophie Révil
music Sonia Wieder-Atherton
camera Virginie Saint-Martin
cut Anne Souriau
occupation
synchronization

The language of the heart (original title: Marie Heurtin ) is a French film biography from 2014 by Jean-Pierre Améris , who also wrote the screenplay with Philippe Blasband . The film is based on the true story of Marie Heurtin , a girl born deaf and blind in late 19th century France. The film won the Variety Piazza Grande Award at the Locarno International Film Festival . The German theatrical release was on January 1, 2015.

action

France late 19th century. At the Larnay Institute, the nuns take care of some deaf girls who have been given their care. Among the nuns is also the lung sick sister Marguerite, who until now has mainly been entrusted with the work in the monastery garden.

A man pulls up his cart in the yard. A young girl sits next to him, tied to the driver's seat for her own safety, but apparently happy. It makes a very neglected impression: her hair is not combed, almost matted, she is barefoot, instead of a dress she is wearing a dirty shirt with long sleeves. On closer inspection it becomes clear that, unlike the other girls, she is not only deaf, but also deaf-blind. The man, her father, turns to the Mother Superior and explains that his daughter urgently needs care, but he does not want to put her in an asylum, as a doctor advised him to do.

Marie, who cannot grasp what should happen to her, takes refuge in the branches of a tree. Sister Marguerite tries to calm her down and bring her down from the tree. In doing so, she has strong feelings, which her diary reports later: "Today I met a soul ...." Finally, the Mother Superior means to the girl's father that her admission to the monastery, due to her double handicap and obviously lack of social life Competence, out of the question. Monsieur Martin has to take Marie home with him.

Sister Marguerite, however, insisted on the superior to allow her to bring Marie back and try to teach her. After some back and forth, the superior finally gives in, and Sister Marguerite sets off on foot. To a large extent she returns on foot with Marie (on a short wrist strap). On her hike she notices that Marie reacts particularly strongly to touch stimuli such as the warm fur of a cow or to phenomena such as the fast flowing water of a stream. Maie shows that she tries to assess and judge other people through touch, such as the sensitive touching of their faces. And it clearly shows that there is a chance to gain access to it. Marie pushes the last part of the arduous journey in a wheelbarrow.

Marie's upbringing proves to be a long, exhausting, and sometimes brutal struggle. Sleeping in a dormitory with the other girls is practically impossible. At least Sister Marguerite manages to bathe her, put on a dress, stockings and shoes, and comb her hair and tie it in a braid. In the dining room, Marie just sits in front of her table setting for a long time and refuses to eat. Sister Marguerite often doubts herself and turns to her diary in these situations, but never gives up. When she is once again on the verge of despair, Marie makes her first usable gesture: knife.

After a while, Marie's parents come to visit and meet their daughter in the presence of Sister Marguerite. You can’t believe what you’re seeing. Marie speaks to them in sign language and Sister Marguerite translates. Marie can even put her name together from wooden letters. Your parents are very touched.

Marguerite's lung disease suddenly appears with a severe attack of weakness. Marguerite is suggested to have peace and mountain air as the only way out. The matron thinks that she can spare Marie by hiding the absence and stay of Marguerite in a clinic in the mountains. This leads to a bad relapse. There is no other way to help than to inform Marguerite, who then immediately breaks off her hospital stay. Marie calms down again. Sister Marguerite is now having a breakdown in her turn. It does not recover from it, but slowly deteriorates more and more.

Marguerite definitely doesn't want Marie to experience her like that and locks her out of her room. Marie relapses again, behaves madly, pounds on the door. Marguerite's good friend, the deaf sister Raphaëlle, who had already mediated in the event of setbacks, persuades her in vain to let Marie back into her life. Only the matron - who had previously made Marguerite's work more difficult in her skepticism - can change her mind by seeing through and pointing out her own rebellion against death as a true motive. From then on, Marie lovingly helps with Marguerite's care. She understands that Marguerite has to die and that there will be no rescue, but at least she wants to accompany her on her last journey. Even after the death of Sister Marguerite, Marie shows herself to be composed with greater maturity. Sister Marguerite's unswervingly great commitment finds its culmination: Marie has arrived in life.

synchronization

The German synchronization was based on a dialogue book by Beate Klöckner under her dialogue direction on behalf of Berliner Synchron.

actor role German speaker
Isabelle Carré Sister Maguerite Anna Grisebach
Ariana Rivoire Marie Heurtin Sarah Tkotsch
Brigitte Catillon Mother Superior Ursula Werner
Noémie Churlet Sister Raphaëlle Artemis Chalkidou
Gilles Treton Monsieur Heurtin Oliver Siebeck
Laure Duthilleul Madame Heurtin Andrea Aust
Martine Gautier Sister Veronique Marina Krogull
Dimitri Radochevitch doctor Uli Krohm

reception

Fritz Göttler wrote in the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the “impetuous coming-of-age film ” derives its intensity “from the green of the meadows and the blue of the sister's costume”, and “from the play by Isabelle Carré and Ariana Rivoire, who are themselves deaf is ". In the short review, the film-dienst wrote that the film was "a moving, hauntingly played drama that traces the course of things in bright colors and focuses above all on the friendship between teacher and student". The film website kino.de judged the film to be “a large, emotional cinema with unique images and actors”. Ariana Rivoire plays the role of Marie with "incredible intensity". The film magazine Cinema wrote that Améris told stories "in small gestures and with great care". Although it demands patience from the viewer, it is worthwhile “to follow Marie on her way”, because “the story is of such unexpected beauty that in the end one feels richly gifted”. Gerhard Midding from epd Film praised the film as a “small masterpiece of cinematic sensitivity”. As in previous films, Jean-Pierre Améris is once again devoting himself to a character “whose access to the world is blocked” and tells of an arduous journey full of discouragement that leads to an “explosion of language”.

Awards

In addition to the Variety Piazza Grande Award in Locarno, the film received 2nd place in the audience award at the Mill Valley Film Festival in the USA. He also competed for the audience award at the Chicago International Film Festival , but could not win it. The Language of the Heart was nominated for the Golden Spike at the Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain . From the German Film and Media Review was the language of the heart with the predicate particularly valuable provided. The reasoning states: “This historical incident, authentically handed down from the end of the 19th century, is told with devotion and with strong, adequate means that give the film its own character. [...] In addition to sparingly used background music, which is never obtrusive, we experience the struggle for Mary's incarnation in absolute silence, only accompanied by original tones and the occasional whisper of Marguerite. This deliberately chosen effect allows the drama of the situation to be felt and takes the viewer into the silent world of a deaf girl. "

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for The Language of the Heart . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , December 2014 (PDF; test number: 148 641 K).
  2. ↑ Age designation for The Language of the Heart . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ^ Film Review: 'Marie's Story' . In: Variety . Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ Locarno Favorite Lav Diaz's 'From What Is Before' Wins Top Prize . In: Variety . Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  5. ↑ Release Info. The Language of the Heart (2014). Internet Movie Database , accessed February 9, 2015 .
  6. ↑ Fritz Göttler: The language of the heart. Süddeutsche Zeitung, January 1, 2015, accessed on February 9, 2015 .
  7. ↑ Irene Genhart: The language of the heart. film-dienst , 26/2014, accessed on February 9, 2015 (short review).
  8. ↑ The language of the heart. Busch Entertainment Media (kino.de), accessed on February 9, 2015 .
  9. ↑ The language of the heart. Cinema , accessed February 9, 2015 .
  10. ↑ Critique of The Language of the Heart. epd film , accessed April 23, 2015 .
  11. ↑ Awards. The Language of the Heart (2014). Internet Movie Database, accessed February 9, 2015 .
  12. ↑ The language of the heart. Jury reasons: Predicate particularly valuable In: German film and media evaluation . Retrieved October 14, 2015.