The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

PG-13 (US) | France, USA | French | 112 min
Directed by: Julian Schnabel
8

Forty-three year old Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby - Jean-Do to his friends - awakens not knowing where he is. He is in a Berck-sur-Mer hospital, where he has been for the past several weeks in a coma after suffering a massive stroke. Although his cognitive facilities are intact, he quickly learns that he has what is called locked-in syndrome which has resulted in him being almost completely paralyzed, including not being able to speak. One of his few functioning muscles is his left eye. His physical situation and hospitalization uncomfortably bring together the many people in his life, including: Céline Desmoulins, his ex-lover and mother of his children; Inès, his current lover; and his aged father who he calls Papinou. Among his compassionate recuperative team are his physical therapist Marie, and his speech therapist Henriette. Henriette eventually teaches him to communicate using a system where he spells out words: she reads out the letters of the alphabet in descending order of their use in the French language, and he blinks his functioning left eye when she reaches the appropriate letter. Although frustrating at start, he learns to communicate effectively but slowly using this method, so much so that with the help of Claude, a full time translator, he decides on the monumental and seemingly impossible task to keep to his pre-injury commitment of writing a book, changing its focus to life in his current state.

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Keywords

Based on real people0
Ground-breaking cinematography0
Independent Film0
Dying And Death0
Disabled0
Timeless classics0

Awards

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Best Foreign-Language Film (Melhor Filme Estrangeiro)

Nominated

Best Foreign Film

Nominated

Release Date

France
(Cannes Film Festival)
2007-05-22
Belgium
No data
2007-05-23
Switzerland
(French speaking region)
2007-05-23
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Also Known As (A.K.A.)

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
(Original title)
La escafandra y la mariposa
Argentina
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Australia
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Parent Guide

Sex & Nudity
Moderate
Violence & Gore
Mild
Profanity
Mild
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking
Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes
Moderate