This is one of my absolute top favorite movies. This extraordinary film, directed by Jane Campion (The Piano) is based on the life of Janet Frame, an introverted, sensitive girl who was later misdiagnosed as schizophrenic and spent eight years in a psychiatric hospital.

She would later become one of New Zealand's most celebrated poets and novelists, publishing her first books while she was still confined to a mental ward. She had endured over 200 electroshock treatments and had almost been lobotomized by careless physicians who took no time to understand that she was merely awkward and shy and suffered from little more than routine depression.

Fascinating film, visually gorgeous and inbelievable performances. An absolute must-see!!