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Augustine

After suffering an inexplicable seizure, which leaves her paralyzed on her right side, 19-year-old Augustine (27 year-old singer-turned-actress Soko in a break out performance) is shipped off to Paris' all female psychiatric hospital Pitie-Salpetriere which specializes in detecting the then-fashionable ailment of "hysteria." Augustine captures the attention of Dr. Charcot (Vincent Lindon, 'Mademoiselle Chambon', 'Welcome') after a seizure, which appears to give her intense physical pleasure. Intrigued, he begins using her as his principal subject hypnotizing her in front of fellow doctors - as she displays her unusual fits in lecture halls - eventually blurring the lines between doctor and patient. 'Augustine'is the feature film directorial debut of 36 year-old director Alice Winocour, a graduate of the Paris film school La Femis. Her first short film Kitchen was selected in competition at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, and she co-wrote the screenplay for Ursula Meier's Home. Pop singer Soko was nominated for a Cesar for Best Female Newcomer for Xavier Giannoli's Cannes Film Festival selection In the Beginning. Chiara Mastroianni, who plays Dr. Charcot's wife, has collaborated with some of France's finest directors including Andre Techine (My Favorite Season), Arnaud Desplechin (A Christmas Tale), Christophe Honore (Love Songs) as well as American directors Robert Altman (Pret-a-Porter) and Gregg Araki (Nowhere). The film's original music is by acclaimed British composer Jocelyn Pook who has worked with a variety of visual, dance and theatre artists and written scores for films including Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut.