Je suis Simone (La condition ouvrière)

This is the diary which the French philosopher Simone Weil kept when, as a twenty-five-year-old, she took a one-year sabbatical from school and her studies and worked in a Parisian factory from December 4, 1934 until August 1935, running the presses at the Alsthom electric company. This experience formed the basis for her book La condition ouvrière. The written chronicle of her days is visually accompanied by a continuous flow of dark rooms and the urban landscape of Île Seguin (suburbs south of Paris), paying particular attention to construction sites and factories.

Directed by Fabrizio Ferraro, Je suis Simone (La condition ouvrière) leans on a strong ensemble — Claudia Landi, Giovanna Giuliani, Natacha Eychenne — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2009.