Her Name Is Sabine (2007)

An intelligent, moving and beautiful portrait of Sabine, a 38-year-old autistic woman, filmed by her sister, the famous French actress Sandrine Bonnaire. Through personal footage filmed over a period of 25 years, it is revealed that Sabine's growth and many talents were crushed by improper diagnosis and an inadequate care structure. After a tragic five-year stay in a psychiatric hospital, Sabine finally finds a new lease on life in a home together with other young people living with similar mental and emotional illnesses. This very intimate film also sends an urgent message to a society that still does not know how to properly take care of its citizens with physical and psychological disabilities. Product Description

Wonderful! A must see!

I love foreign films and documentaries and this film is why. Sandrine just puts the camera on her sister Sabine and lets it speak for itself. Mixed in are the enchanting home movies from Sabine's youth. As a good documentary should do Sandrine doesn't try to shape the film into anything other than what it is. Fortunately things were improving towards the end of the film, I don't know if I could have handled it if they were not. See this film, you will not regret it!
April 26, 2008

Great Documentary

What is most remarkable about this movie is the contrast between the earlier footage of Sabine's youth and the later footage of her after being institutionalized and highly medicated. It seems that independent integrated living for the disabled is as much a quandary in France as here. One moment I liked is when the mother of one of Sabine's fellow residents describes the effects of taking her son's medication by accident. There's also what struck me as a sort of unusual definition of autism by one of Sabine's caseworkers. But what is most unforgettable and makes this film a must see is a scene where Sabine herself is shown the film of her earlier life. April 24, 2008

A sister's loving account of her autistic sister

Have to "confess"

that I went to the screening of this documentary

because of a long appreciation of Sandrine Bonnaire's unique presense as an actress/

How to describe her? Earthy, delicate , soulful/ akin to a german shepherd perhaps ...

Here is a film she made devoted to her sister, Sabine

Just exquisite & transcends catagories /

It is full of humor and empathy and pathos/

Bravo! Here is a sampling of humanity in its more compassionate dimension all around ..

See this.

This piece lends values of caregiving, sisterhood , all fleshed out & visceral, and in the moment,

Exuberant and joyous , too by the way .. see this!









March 4, 2008

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