A subterranean
rumbling resonates in the heart of a forest. Hidden by foliage,
a metal grate reveals underground passageways leading to a
boarding school separated from the outside world by a huge
wall. A group of young schoolgirls opens a coffin only to
find six-year-old Iris. Bianca, the oldest student, introduces
Iris to this strange world where there are neither men nor
adults except the old servants and two young teachers: Mesdemoiselles
Edith and Eva. Iris quickly discovers the rules of the school
where teaching centers on dance, physical education and biology.
Obedience is paramount and any boarder who rebels or escapes
is condemned to serve the others forever. Nothing overly dramatic
happens in Innocence, but the anxiety and fear the film provokes
force the viewer to wonder what will take place next. Everything
indicates that these girls are being groomed for something.
Is it a rite of passage preparing them for puberty and adulthood,
or something sinister? Lucile Hadzihalilovic creates a world
oscillating between realism and fantasy through astute lighting,
intense colors, and virtually no background music.
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| PHOTO Leisure Time Features |
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