SOEUR SOURIRE
Belgium, 2009, 120 minutes, Colour.
Cecile De France, Sandrine Blancke, Jo Deseure, Jan Decleir.
Directed by Stijn Coninx.
Soeur Sourire is a portrait of the Belgian nun, Jeannine Deckers who became famous in the 1960s for her song Dominique. Her story was popularised and sanitised in the Hollywood film, The Singing Nun, with Debbie Reynolds. This film was made during her lifetime – and gave no indication of the tragedy of her failed life and suicide which was to come during the 1970s.
Cecile De France is excellent as Jeannine. She has to play very young, getting older, middle-aged. She does this very effectively, communicating the insecurities of Jeannine, the put-downs from her severe mother, her wanting to leave home, her various whims about what she would do, especially going with her cousin to Africa. She discusses her life with a priest and joins the Dominican nuns. The year that she joined them was 1959, the year that Fred Zinneman’s film The Nun’s Story (which was based on a convent in Belgium in the 1930s) was released. The sisters in this film are very much in the vein of The Nun’s Story, sometimes more severe. Although, they farewell Jeannine when she leaves the convent, something different from the end of The Nun’s Story.
The film shows Jeannine in the convent, a television company wanting to make a film about the convent, her composing her song Dominique, the use of it during the program – and the consequences for herself, for the convent. She becomes a celebrity, although the nuns want her to remain anonymous, hence the name Sister Smile, Soeur Sourire?
The film shows her success, her discontent, her leaving the convent. While she had some success after leaving, she did not manage the career that she might have had as a nun. Eventually, she composes a song critical of moral teachings and it is sung in Canada where she is banned.
The film also shows the fragility of her personality, her initial lack of sexual development, the emergence of her homosexual inclinations. A friend who is loyal to her all the years, becomes her refuge when she leaves the convent. She also began to drink, became depressed – and eventually the two women commit suicide.
The film is an arresting portrait of the church and its transition at the period as dramatised by a disturbed character.
The film was written and directed by Stijn Coninx who also explored 19th century church activity with the worker-priests in his 1992 film, Daens.
1. The film as biography, portrait? The church, religious orders, changes during the 1960s? Popular music?
2. The reputation of Soeur Sourire, the song Dominique? In translations? The sales – beyond the Beatles?
3. Belgium in 1959, the 60s and the 70s? The sternness of society? The sternness of the church? Popular music and change?
4. Brussels, the city, country towns, homes, the bakery and the shop, the convent, the recording studios?
5. The musical score, Soeur Sourire’s songs, the range of performances, recording, for television, the concerts? Her other songs? The offensive song, her performance, being banned, singing in cabarets and clubs?
6. The framework of the film, Jeannine in the concert, the encouragement - the flashbacks, the return to the concert, the transition to her failure and suicide?
7. Cecile De France, her screen presence and performance? Jeannine and her life, the harshness of her mother, her passive father, the work in the bakery? The various courses, studies, lectures, art studies, wanting to go to Africa, her plans with her cousin? Her mother accusing her of whims? Her age, experience, naive, Annie and the attraction, Annie’s advances, Jeannine not understanding? Her mannish style, appearance?
8. The family, the father as the baker, his simple traditions, his wife, her harshness? Her ridicule of her daughter? Her loveless marriage? Jeannine’s bond with her cousin, the cousin living at home?
9. Music, learning it, her talent?
10. Pierre, his friendship, Jeannine’s mother’s hopes, wanting an engagement? Jeannine not able to kiss Pierre? His understanding, his later marriage, continued friendship?
11. Jeannine’s religion, piety, Catholic traditions in Belgium, her mother, leaving the house, her mother’s threats? Her anger, going to the priest, his advice, going to the convent?
12. The convent, the superior, the young nuns, the old deaf nun, life in the convent, Jeannine bumptious, her cell, at meals, being hungry and going to the fridge, cheeky? The interviews with the superior, the novice mistress? Discipline in the convent?
13. The issue of whether she had a vocation or not, her motivation for going to the convent, cutting herself off, not letting her family know? Her behaviour in the convent, taking the habit, working with the others, in the garden, prayer?
14. The composition of Dominique, the young nun helping her, the melody, the words, the tribute to St Dominic by a Dominican nun? The reactions, the encouragement from the old deaf nun?
15. Her parents, discovering where she was, the visit? Pierre and his visit? Her cousin and her being hurt by Jeannine cutting herself off?
16. The media priest, the television program in the convent, the discussions with the nuns, the superior, hearing the song, proposing that Jeannine sing it? The development of her career?
17. The community, the superior’s reaction, change of attitudes towards the publicity, the contract, the royalties? Her cautions? Going to the recording?
18. The church in favour of her work, the media in favour of her, the forced anonymity, the discovery of the truth, the television program, the media? Her parents claiming her because of her success?
19. Jeannine and her temperament, not wanting to go to Africa, her moods, success, the English versions of the song, the clash with the young nun and her denunciation of Jeannine? Issues of the royalties and the community? Concerts? Annie and her continued friendship, the contacts?
20. Annie, the sexual orientation, her approaches initially, keeping contact, her life and work, the refuge for Jeannine?
21. Jeannine, leaving, the farewell, her hopes, her identity as herself rather than Soeur Sourire, the reactions of the media? Her agents, hopes, going to Canada? Her parents denouncing her, especially with the sexual orientation?
22. Annie, the relationship, sexuality, Jeannine going to live in the house, sharing it, their clashes, love?
23. Her drinking, decline, the passing of the years, losing the money? The lawyers, her agents, the failure in Canada, the ecclesiastical disapproval of her song? Humiliated by the bars and the clubs?
24. Her final decline, her suicide with Annie? The sadness of the end of her life – and the possibilities of what might have been?
