Based on the acclaimed 18th century novel by Denis Diderot, La Religieuse brings together French New Wave icons Jacques Rivette and Anna Karina in a film as stunning as it was scandalous. With her parents unable to afford marrying her off, free-spirited Suzanne (Karina) is forced to enter a convent against her will, taking vows of chastity and poverty. The comfort she finds in the sisterly affection of her fellow nuns is stripped away when the kindly Mother Superior is replaced by the vicious Sister Sainte-Christine who attempts to "correct" Suzanne's rebellious nature with an escalating series of punishments. Driven to the edge of reason, Suzanne faces an impossible choice: flee at risk of death or allow herself to be broken by the strict religious order.

Nominated for the Palme D'Or, twice banned by the ‘Commission of Cinematic Control’ for its perceived attack on the Catholic church, La Religieuse has acquired a reputation as a piece of extreme cinema— one that is very much in contrast with its measured and downright elegant depiction of a woman oppressed by the constraints of her time and place. While its traditional narrative structure and period setting may seem at odds with the signatures of the Nouvelle Vague, Rivette worked within those modes to deliver something truly formally daring through innovative sound design and extraordinary composition. The heart of the film is Karina in arguably her finest performance, expressing fathomless sorrow and suffering with just a look.