Motivated first by Maurice Sachs and then by Simone de Beauvoir, Violette Leduc becomes a writer.

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During WWII, Violette Leduc (Emmanuelle Béart, with perfect raw intensity) works on the black market. On the advice of Maurice Sachs – a homosexual Jewish writer who converted first to Catholicism and then to Protestantism, first a resistance fighter, then a collaborator – whom she loves unrequitedly, she begins to write about her childhood. She sends the manuscript to Simone de Beauvoir (Sandrine Kiberlain, amazing as usual) who recognizes her talent and tells her to continue. Once published, her book doesn’t bring the expected success, but does introduce her Jean Genêt and the rich perfume-maker Jacques Guérin. “Think of writing, it will bring you that which society has refused you,” declares Beauvoir. She rejects the passion of Violette’s devotion (“Stop whining!”) but encourages her to transform her tendency toward self-destruction into something more constructive. She supports her financially until the awaited recognition finally comes...

How do you shake the feeling that no one wanted you to be born? Martin Provost films this intimate inner battle with careful attention to detail and without pity. After a time one’s self-regard changes – a liberating thing, if only so one can finally look in the mirror without pity.