A 1921 silent film about a woman with a diploma and nowhere to go — sound familiar?
Blanchette, whose parents have sacrificed to give her an education, has received her teaching diploma, but is unable to find work. A dispute with her father leads to her being throw out of the house, and she goes to Paris to look for work.
Acting
Pauline Johnson's expressive eyes do ALL the heavy lifting
Direction
Hervil captures Parisian poverty with unflinching intimacy
Production
1921 location shooting that feels uncomfortably real
Director
René Hervil
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
René Hervil directed over 70 films but remains criminally under-discussed in French cinema history.
This adaptation of Eugène Brieux's play was part of a wave of 'thesis films' tackling social issues before the Hays Code made Hollywood squeamish.
FR
