Fausses innocences

Constance, 1414. Nothing prepares Marie for the cataclysm that is about to befall her life. Her beauty, chastity, and dowry promise her the best of matches. In love with Michel, her childhood friend, she wants to settle in Cologne to live her life independently. But her father, a wealthy merchant, has other plans. According to his will, she will marry Master Ruppertus Splendidus, a young and brilliant lawyer, the illegitimate son of a local nobleman. This union will allow her to become an aristocrat and gain access to the court. But when Marie is slandered, thrown into prison, and then raped, the fairy tale suddenly turns into a nightmare. Summarily tried and then banished, she has no other choice for survival than to join a group of itinerant prostitutes...

Directed by André Chandelle, Fausses innocences leans on a strong ensemble — Thierry Godard, Hélène de Fougerolles, Geneviève Mnich — 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 drama titles of 2009.