A novice as a sunflower.
The simple but charming story is about a twenty-one year old novice in a monastery in the south of France, who slowly but definitely turns her direction towards the world. Before that we see her making drawings in a prayerbook, on pages she painted white, while at the background we hear spiritual songs. Avril seems quite happy and admits to the rather bitchy Mother Superior that she is ready to become a member of the Trappistines. She buries her worldly belongings and starts a retreat in a chapel: two weeks without eating and painting the chapelwalls white.
One of the nuns, Bernadette, asks her if she is sure about her decision and advises her to go into the world at first, which she doesn’t know at all, since she was brought up by the sisters. Bernadette is also the one who has to keep in touch with her during the retreat. She tells her that Avril has a twin brother who was sent to an orphan home. Avril ought to go see him before taking her vows. She will leave the bicycle entrance open.
In the next scene we see Avril at the side of the road with a flat tire. A young man, Pierre, passes in his delivery-van and asks her if she needs help. Avril is very shy and says that she will go back to the monastery, because God probably did not want her to leave. Pierre answers very smart that God might have sent him to assist her. On their way to the orphan home, Pierre tells her he delivers paints, so that is something they have in common. The director phones the parents that have taken her brother in the house and hears that he is with a girlfriend in the Camargue. Pierre wants to bring Avril there. When they reach the shelter near the lighthouse, Avril sees two naked young men sleeping half under a sheet in the sand. She doesn’t dare to approach them. Later on she askes one of them if he can be her model so she can draw him. As later on the friend comes by, Avril says goodbye. She forgets to take her pencil and when her model brings it back to her, she confesses she is a sister, his sister.
The yound man, David, and Avril have long talks. Avril and Pierre sleep in the lighthouse and Avril continues her retreat there as good as possible. After a quarrel with David however Avril decides to leave. Philip runs after the van and takes her in his arms. This is a next step in Avrils coming closer to the world. She stays, learns to swim, enjoys the waves, likes the food, makes paints with Pierre and enjoys human compagny, especially Pierres (see photo).
Once in a while the camera returns to the monastery. We see Mother Superior walk with Bernadette and ask her about Avril. Bernadette says she thinks everything is going well.
Avril and the men finally return to the monastery to paint the chapel walls. Of course the nuns are astonished to see three men in the chapel, when they come in to let Avril take her vows. Mother Superior is not at all amused. The end of the movie is a bit sentimental and overdone but in total it is a lighthearted and wonderful movie.
The role of Avril is played very well. An innocent and shy girl that becomes very a selfconsious woman. An excellent performance by Sophie Quinton. Dressed as a nun with a white scarf she looks very much like the moslim women we see more in the streets than novices at the moment.
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