Despite being nearly 30, Helene still looks like a teenager. She writes powerful, physical texts with a caustic humour. As she herself says, she was part of a 'miscalibrated batch that doesn't fit in anywhere.' A visionary author, the thinking contained in her telepathic poetry is deep and far ranging, speaking to us of her world and ours. She collaborates with a theatre director adapting her work and has discussions with a mathematician. And yet, Helene cannot hold a pen and has never learned to read or write. She was 20 years old when her mother discovered that she could communicate by arranging laminated letters on a piece of paper. This is one of the many mysteries of a woman who calls herself Babouillec.
'An absorbing portrait of human creativity. Inspirational and informative... If ever there was a movie warning us not to judge a book by its cover, this is the one.' - The Hollywood Reporter
'An autistic woman nearly 30 years old, she can barely utter a few words. We assume she's behind but discover she's way ahead. When Helene Nicolas takes hold of the letters placed on a table, she becomes a poet who, under the pseudonym Babouillec, delivers astonishing thoughts and visions.' - Telerama
'Placed before this explosive personality, in constant conflict with a very strong interiority that Helene cannot express in speech, the viewer simultaneously becomes a voyeur and witness to a continuous miracle. Unsettling and captivating.' - Premiere
'Having never learned to read, at age 20 Helene began to compose striking and inspired texts, which describe her vision of the world and society. The film empathetically questions the mysteries of art and intuition.' - L'Humanite