Innocence (2004 film)

Innocence is a 2004 French mystery drama film written and directed by Lucile Hadihalilovi, inspired by the novella MineHaha, or On the Bodily Education of Young Girls by Frank Wedekind, and starring Marion Cotillard. The film follows a year in the life of the girls in the third dormitory at a secluded boarding school, where new students arrive in coffins.

One night, Iris follows Bianca on her secret errand, but she loses track of the older girl once she reaches the main building. She explores, but only stumbles across more she does not understand a shadowy man preparing an injection for a shadowy woman. She flees, and is lost in the woods for the night. After a period of smoldering animosity, Selma makes overtures to befriend Iris, but then beats her with a switch stem when Iris asks about Biancas nightly departures. Selma also uses her fingertip, touching Iriss wound, to gingerly taste Iriss blood. As time passes, Laura, unlike Iris, is morose and unable to adapt to life at the school. With Iriss help and a pledge of secrecy she steals a rowboat in an attempt to escape, but drowns. A distressed Iris tells Bianca nonetheless. The school holds a funeral, where Lauras coffin is burned on a pyre.As the year changes, the focus shifts to Alice, the fourthyear blue ribbon, who is hungry to leave the school and see the world outside. She has placed her hopes on winning the annual inspection of the blue ribbons, where the mysterious headmistress arrives from afar and after watching them dance, chooses one girl from the class to leave with her. Though Mademoiselle Edith cautions that she shouldnt get her hopes up, Alice has been anticipating this moment and her own winning of the honor of leaving. Though the competition is close, another girl is chosen instead. Alice collapses at the headmistresss feet. She convalesces, but isnt the same as before she doesnt speak, and aimlessly and perpetually stares into space. Finally, she runs away, and climbs the stone wall that surrounds the school. As we see her flee into the woods beyond, we hear the sound of distant gunshots and barking dogs. Later, as Eva looks pensively out a window, Edith informs her that Alice cannot be found she then informs the group of girls that Alice is very bad, and will not be seen or spoken of again. ........

Source: Wikipedia