The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

A story of a man paralyzed by a massive stroke uplifting? You bet! In the French film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly a man in his mid forties has a stroke and is paralysed, except for the use of one eyelid. He is sent to a hospital on the coast, and a dedicated staff of therapists come up with a system of blinking so he can communicate. This story is true, this story is fascinating, this film is beautiful. The diving bell is his body, the butterfly is his imagination and memory. Most of the visual perspective is that of the paralyzed Jean-Dom, and it pulls the viewer into his world. The technique is mesmerizing. A beautiful tribute to a man who was a writer and an editor at Elle magazine. I smiled when I got home and realized this month's issue was on the top of my magazine stack!