ABSTRACT
The film Vivante (2001), directed by Sandrine Ray, shows the moving story of a young student who was molested by four guys, who dragged her into a car, drove to a remote place, and raped her. The woman, very shameful about what happened, refused to share the event with anybody and tried to continue her life as if nothing had happened. When a nice young man invited her for a date, she refused in an aggressive way. Paradoxically, she had let herself be abused by other men she had never met before. Gradually, she lost contact with an increasing number of acquaintances and friends, who could not understand her capricious behaviour and suspicious attitude. Only one person, her brother, stayed loyal to her throughout this problematic period. He remained supportive and understanding despite her sudden mood changes and irrational behaviour, and prevented her from total alienation from others and from herself. At the end of the film she meets a new man, to whom she showed several drawings she had made. His sincere appreciation of her art and his interest in her as a person marked the beginning of a new and gratifying relationship.
