Augustine

Augustine is a 2012 French historical erotic drama film written and directed by Alice Winocour, in her feature directorial debut. It follows a love affair between French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot and his patient Louise Augustine Gleizes, who was known as Augustine or A. In reality, there was no sexual relationship between the two. The film had its world premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in the Special Screenings section and was later screened at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section. It was released theatrically in France on 7 November 2012, and was given a limited release in the United States on 17 May 2013 by Music Box Films. Plot While serving at a dinner party, kitchen maid Augustine feels her hands going numb and then has a violent fit that leaves her paralyzed in one eye. Augustine is brought to a hospital where she attracts the attention of Jean-Martin Charcot after she has seizures in front of him. Charcot examines her while she is naked and realizes that she has lost feeling in one side of her body. He pierces her arm with a hot needle, but Augustine cannot feel it. He also discovers that despite having matured physically, Augustine has never menstruated. Charcot decides to use Augustine as a test case in front of other fellow doctors in order to see whether he will be able to obtain funding to do his work. He has Augustine hypnotized in front of the doctors and induces one of her fits which results in her having an orgasm before collapsing. The doctors applaud Charcot and he begins to work with Augustine in earnest, giving her her own room within the hospital and examining her thoroughly. While helping a fellow patient behead a chicken Augustine faints at the sight of blood—when she regains consciousness, she manages to open both her eyes as normal, but still lacks sensation in one side of her body. Augustine begins to menstruate after this incident.