The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Tuesday, December 11, 7:30 p.m.
Landmark E Street Cinema, 555 11th St., N.W.
PG-13; 112 minutes
Directed by Julian Schnabel
In English & French with English subtitles
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY is the remarkable true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), a successful and charismatic editor-in-chief of French Elle, who believes he is living his life to its absolute fullest when a sudden stroke leaves him in a life-altered state. While the physical challenges of Bauby's fate leave him with little hope for the future, he begins to discover how his life's passions, his rich memories, and his newfound imagination can help him achieve a life without boundaries.
The film allows us to see the world Bauby lived in and how he used his imagination and memory to escape–soaring like a butterfly–from the deep-sea diving bell that he pictured himself trapped in. Schnabel and screenwriter Ronald Harwood do justice to the enormous courage and determination of the man and the caring patience of those who helped him.
After this advance screening, director Julian Schnabel will be participating in an audience Q&A moderated by Michael Kyrioglou, Director of the DC Film Society.
