Innocence (II) (2004)

A look inside an offbeat boarding school for young girls.

Director:

Lucile Hadzihalilovic

Writers:

Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Frank Wedekind (novel)

Stars:

Zoé Auclair, Lea Bridarolli, Bérangère Haubruge

8 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zoé Auclair	...	Iris
Lea Bridarolli	...	Alice
Bérangère Haubruge	...	Bianca
Marion Cotillard	...	Mademoiselle Eva
Hélène de Fougerolles	...	Mademoiselle Edith
Olga Peytavi-Müller	...	Laura
Alisson Lalieux	...	Selma
Ana Palomo-Diaz	...	Nadja
Astrid Homme	...	Rose
Joséphine Van Wambeke	...	Vera
Johanna Surbier	...	Fanny
Grizelle Crozet	...	La fille choisie
Corinne Marchand	...	La directrice
Sonia Petrovna	...	Son assistante
Véronique Nordey	...	L'intendante

Storyline

A look inside an offbeat boarding school for young girls.

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Plot Keywords:

girl | boarding school | school | classroom | girls' boarding school | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexual content and brief nudity involving a minor

Details

Country:

Belgium France UK Japan

Language:

French

Release Date:

12 January 2005 (France)

Also Known As:

Athootita

Filming Locations:

Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ex Nihilo, Ateliers de Baere, Blue Light

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min 115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of The Fine Art of Love: Mine Ha-Ha (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Return to Misty Mountain"
Performed by Richard Cooke and Michael Caporale

User Reviews

Thought-provoking and beautiful film

There can't be many films that occupy your mind for many days afterwards, make you read the book they are based on, and then watch them again.

"Innocence" is one of those films and it is both beautiful and intriguing at the same time. It is based on a book by Frank Wedekind called "Mine-Haha or the corporeal education of girls", the only published fragment of his unfinished novel "Hildalla". It was first published in 1901 and although beautifully written it has much darker undertones than the film with references to a body cult of youth and natural beauty which would later become exploited by Nazi culture.

The film is very much a metaphor for a childhood world which is in many ways separate but also protected from that of adults. It plays in an isolated Girls School their children enter at the time when they start to make their own independent experiences of the world around them and ends with the onset of puberty and attainment of menarche, both symbolising the emotional and physical end of childhood. The cinematography is beautiful and reminded me in many ways of Tarkovsky with its symbolism and haunting images. However, the story can seem a little simplistic and linear times and often appears to demand more depth from the young child actors than they could possibly deliver.

Nevertheless this is a very interesting and thought-provoking film and well worth watching. The French dialogue often has a musical quality and as long as you're prepared to watch this in a calm and unhurried state of mind this is very rewarding and unusual cinematic experience.