[footsteps] (williams)before the civil war, new orleans was uniquein all the world, more frenchthan it was american. races freely mixed, creatinga new class known as creoles, or free people of color. european menwere especially enchanted by the exotic light-skinnedwomen of this class, whose ancestors were thechildren of master and slave,
spanish and french. big night tonight. [bell tinkling] (williams)parties were thrownat the old orleans ballroom, where the europeans would selectthe young women, pledge support,raise families with them, yet never marry. one such liaison, that between jean-baptisteand pouponne delille,
produced a daughterwhose dreams would change the old orleans ballroomand her world forever. au revoir. (children) au revoir. bye. [bell pealing] oh, i'm late. grandmama gave it to meto wear on my night, for luck.
it brought me love. it will bring youthe same. cã©lie. papa, mamanhas to finish my hair. i want you to show me those fancy new stepsof yours: a reverse, lightly, hmm? as a birdsuddenly flies. so one, two, three.
(cã©cilia)i will fly like a bird, but i won't have a partner if my hair's a bird's nest. ah. ma chã¨rie. mm-hmm. [violin music] ah, chin up, chin up. you don't need to see.
you must trust your partner. i like to knowwhere i'm going, papa. then you should not waltz. it is the quadrille for you, or...the polka? [laughing] bonsoir, jean-baptiste. bonsoir, chã¨rie. henriette,
late, on yoursister's night. (cã©cilia)she forgets everything else when she'sin the classroom. forgive me, cã©lie. and will you forget next year,when it is your turn? i certainly hope so. i might not be able to waltzby then, anyway. (pouponne)oh, nonsense.
nonsense. you must stopwith your grand opinions. it will only upset her. i won't sayanother word about it. it was so dull without youon sunday at dinner. mama didn't eat a thing. well, i, um... henriette-- [women giggling]
girl? betsie. where is that wine i asked for? sorry, mr. jean. don't give me excuses, girl. bring me some wine. papa, was idoing it so wrong? maybe you will be readynext year, if you keep your chin up.
left, left. chin up, chin up. ♪ ♪ i know you will havea wonderful time, ma chã¨re. you look beautiful. but you said you wouldattend with us. i wish i could,but unfortunately, i haveimportant business. uhh.
bonsoir, mon amour. bonsoir. but, papa, i-- cã©lie, every man therewill watch you dance and wish he wereyour partner. by the way,your bird's nest looks lovely. a bientot. hyup.
[waltz music] (man)je vous presente monsieur samuel duprã©. enchantã©. your fatherhas chosen well. pray for her. pray for love,henriette. (man) amelia, ego to baptizo en nomino patris
et filiis et spiritus santci. [baby fussing] amen. (cã©cilia)amen. [baby crying] (henriette) maman, why isn't papa here? (pouponne)obviously, the business at the plantationis taking longer than expected.
well, he saidhe was gonna be here. your papa has notstayed with me for 25 years because i insistedthat he be here or there. don't you care? questions, henriette,always questions. ask too many questions, and you will driveyour man away. marie is gonna meet usat the boat. she's bringingschool supplies,
and julie and ipromised to be there. you'll be very careful? it's dangerous theresince the americans came. au revoir. [goat bleating] [bells ringing] (man #1)now, who'll startthe bidding at 150? 150, do i hear 150? yes, sir.thank you.
200, anyone? 200. (man #2) 200. (man #1) yes, sir. thank you very much. 325, 325, do i hear-- (man #3) 325. papa? were youaddressing me? no, sir.
i thought i knew the gentlemanyou were talking to. did you, now? henriette. [horse whinnies] (henriette) i thought i just saw my papa. bonjour. (julie) here's the bread you wanted for marie. ma'am.ma'am. uh, be right there.
[poignant music] would you like some? (man #1)gimme that! (man #2)get away! [men shouting] miss, let medo that for you. no, no. miss, it ain't seemly. [sighs]
(henriette) in a city like this, the masters do nothing? they just can'twork no more. (man)jacques! get over here! yes, sir. don't make mecall you twice. get over there and help mrs. morganwith her things.
sorry, ma'am. let me get thosefor you. what am i givingmarie now? oh, she won'tgo hungry tonight, julie. oh, there she is. marie! oh. oh, it's heavy. excuse me, sir. would you mindstopping--
[shrieks] [splashing] mum! don't worry, ma'am.i'm comin'. [marie coughing] [all talking] [gasps] apparently, i missedthe delta waters more than i knew.
[laughing]oh, thank you,thank you. so much troublefor such an old maid. miss, i'd do it again. it's kinda hot out here,anyway. enough of that. it'll go to his head, and i'll geta week of sulking and slow serviceout of him.
sir, he dove into save a woman's life, while the rest of youstood by, checking your watch fobs. (man)there are lawsagainst sassing. better learn thatfor your own good. [gulls squawking] (man)jacques. clean yourself up. i don't want people thinkin'that we dress you like that.
looks likemain street in sodom. how can you make meleave charleston for this? look at themparadin' around. give it time, dear. things are gonna change. [goat bleats] well, is anyone elsefor a swim? allow meto introduce myself. i am gerard gaultier.
my parents have just taken upresidence in a plantation up near pontchartrain. enchantã©e. i'm marie alicot. these are my goodfriends julie gadin and henriette delille. uh, welcometo new orleans. would you do me the honorof allowing me to see you home? we have our own carriage,but thank you.
then at leasti can carry your things. well, well, well. [clears throat] the accent's notfrom the west indies. i thinkhe's from france. you can always ask himat the ball next week. i'm not going to the ball. but...it's been arranged. oh, i sawmy father today.
of course,he didn't see me. i don't want that--not for me,not for my children. (marie) i expect you'll be telling your mother soon. she'll understand. ah, you'veimported rocks? [laughing]they're books. we're teachersat the parish school, and marie's a missionary. oh, wonderful.
this will be difficultto accomplish with dignity. i'm sure you'll be ableto manage somehow. oh, only withyour steadfast belief and encouragement,mademoiselle. (henriette and children)one, two, three, four. (henriette)excellent.that's it for today. au revoir. merci. thank you.au revoir. au revoir.merci. au revoir.
au revoir, merci. [girls chatting] take your seats. simone. i'm so glad we foundyour parish, father rousselon. the cathedral seemed--well, full of foreigners. and we're gladto find you,mrs. morgan, and to haveyour husband-- 'scuse me.
as a warden. (henriette) d. (girls) d. a catechism classfor girls this late? trã¨s bien, simone. slave children? mrs. morgan, slavesare god's children too. we are allowedto teach them at night. bonsoir, father.
(rousselon) bonsoir. (girls) bonsoir, father. this is our neweststudent, simone. her father will bring herto church on sunday. that's my jacques'daughter. i can read, father. very good. well-- teaching coloreds to readrequires permission.
(henriette) god... is...love. repeat. (girls)god is love. excellent. henriette, do you havetheir permission? you know it's illegalto teach slaves to read without their masters'consent. how can they learnthe catechismunless they read it?
how can theytruly worship if they can't readthe bible? do the mastersknow, henriette? god knows. (pouponne)henriette, what is thisi have heard? you are teachingslave children? do you want to hurtyour father? do you realize he does businesswith their masters?
and the sonsof those masters will be attendingyour ball this week. maman, about the ball-- do you want them laughingat you behind your back? do you want themto wash their hands after they've finished dancing with you? [chuckling] (pouponne) henriette, i have asked you a question. [giggles]
[whispers fiercely]no. you will notparade your heart. you want these white bastards to see? unh. come on, ree. she'll blame meif you're not ready. i hate this. you knowhow much i do. ooh, maman was rightabout the green.
do you love him? who? oh, samuel? yes. he has promisedthat we will be together until we're oldand crotchety. but you can't marry,cã©lie. what differencedoes it make if he stays with me?
[sighs]god means us to be marriedtill death parts us, to walk across a square openly,as man and wife. otherwise,we're just being bought. it's--it's like the-- look, ree. think before you speak. (jean-baptiste) what made you think things would be different with us? [door shuts]
(pouponne) jean-baptiste, you made a promise to me. was i naiveto believe in you? and i'vekept my word. i help you raise the girls. cã©cilia is taken care of, and now henrietteis well-placed too. and me, jean. me! i must producelegitimate heirs.
you knew that. it is something i must do! you will beravishing. every man therewill hunger after you, and they will envyyour gentleman, paul cartier, who has assured mehe will provide you with the finestof everything. did he say for how long? and when i see youin the square
tomorrowor the next day, will you see me? you are my beloved children,and you always will be, even if i can't see youagain for a long time. i'm getting married. and thenyou'll leave us. so this is the lifeyou want for me, maman? i will notgo to the ball. i will not meetpaul cartier.
how do you intend to live if you don't goto the ball, my dear? how will we? if you have notunderstood things, your papahas just ended our lives. oh, pouponne,don't be so dramatic. you can keep the slaveand lease her out and the house, of course,too, as i promised. well, at least we won'tbe begging in the square
where you and your wifemight see us. (jean-baptiste) pouponne. (pouponne) oh, jean-baptiste, if this is my house, get out. [cã©cilia sniffles] no, no, no, no. not now. cecelia, you fastenyour sister's gown.
(cecelia)she's right.let's go. we will be lateif we don't hurry. there is no love here. this iswhat we do, ree. we have no choices. [people chatting] mademoisellehenriette delille, je vous presentemonsieur paul cartier. je suis enchantã©,mademoiselle.
shall we? [stately waltz music playing] may i, mademoiselle? [romantic music] monsieur,you took me by surprise. was thereany other way? monsieur gaultier, i have made previousarrangements for this one. but don't worry.
there are plentyothers to choose from. shall we dance...now? i've alwaysunderstood that a lady could chooseher partner. a lady? monsieur, i am committedto a year's support. retire. i'm sure your friendsused to believe that you werea gentleman.
sir? i am sorry. maybei do not understand the way of thingsin america...yet. so this is what's to comeof my steadfast belief and encouragement,gerard gaultier? you saved me. if you had nottaken my hand, i would've been committedto a duel at the oaks.
i'm sure of it. some of the menthat attend these balls are suspect in character. i supposethat's to be expected. you have nothingto say for yourself? forgive me. i only came hereto look for you. (pouponne) henriette. may i callon you sometime?
[whispers]don't look back. be coy. good night. (pouponne)what were you thinkingtonight? you shamed me, henriette. your life is not for me. oh, my life isnot good enough for you. not good enoughfor your father, not good enough for you!
i have no say in this? i have no freedom? you get out. you are his. you are just like him! you just get out. get out, henriette! get out of my house! [bell peals]
[horses whinnying] [dramatic music] [panting] who's there? henriette? are you hurt? i can't live the lifei'm supposed to live. i can't pretend. then you mustn't.
then i can never go home. you are alwayswelcome here, in god's house. god's house? everyone's house. [horse hooves clopping] (henriette)there you go. for you. and for you.
thank you. oh, marie'll look at your leg over there. (rousselon)henriette, may i presentdr. gerard gaultier? i said i would pay a call. you have already met? doctor? i was.i gave it up. (rousselon)dr. gaultier's trained
in the most advancedmedical science, and he has come to help usset up the infirmary. you were giventhe gift of healing, and you gave it up? for what? i'm sorry. i always asktoo many questions. in france, i shareda practice with my uncle, but my patientswere so rich
they could have hiredgod himself to cure them. they certainlydid not need me. but you couldn'tgive it upin your heart. so here you are,helping us. if you will have me. this was your idea? well, no, i-- but father rousselontells me-- (henriette) i just saw a place that would be safe for them.
the people of the parish bring food, and julie, marie, and i serve it every dayfor them. so that's whereyou have been: here. oh, i calledat your cottagemore than once. your sister--cecelia, is it? she would not give meany information, even wheni assured her that my intentionswere honorable.
she means well. i stay with julie now. i, uh...i understandyour mother is ill. is there anythingi can do? it's nothingthat medicine can cure. i apologize. i do not mean to pry. (betsie)miss cã©lie? miss cã©lie!
(cecelia)betsie? maman went mad. she tried to hurt herself. i finally got her settled in bed. she was a wild thing. she was screamingand running. amelia. here. oh, maman. she's screamingand running. go get henriette.
[baby fussing] we'll see youtomorrow, maman, and i'll bring yousome pears. i would prefer if you'd waita few days. she needs to settle inon her own. have you seenmy little sasha? have you seenmy little sasha? they took her,you know.
madame d'orsay, i'm sure these women know nothing about your little girl. come, now. [whispers]forgive me, maman. [sighs]forgive me. [man grunting] [moans softly] ah? much better, huh? that was brave of you,jason.
here. okay? yeah, all better now.off you go. i took the liberty of speaking withyour mother's doctor. the night of the ball, i brokemy mother's heart. i was too proud, too selfish. i couldn't seethe pain of her life.
i'll never forgive myself. henriette. she will bewell taken care of. ohh. what happened? some white folkcaught him readin', sir. reading? they say there's a new law. every week, they publisha new law in that journal.
of course, slaves are notallowed to read it. excuse me. [man moans softly] [grunts] imagineif you weren't here. my class make me feelso ashamed. my own classhas slaves. people choose to befull of love or hate. it's not limitedto class.
well, it seemsmine has chosen hate. well, he'sin god's hands now. you asked mehow i could give up healing. it is answers like that: "it is in god's hands," "it is god's will," "god knows." it is not good enough. i'm a doctor.
i want to save lives. oh, so you believeyou're the healer, that it's all up to you? that's pride, vanity. yet you blame yourselffor your mother's illness. you broke her heart. people do not diefrom broken hearts. maybe that is your vanity. all i know is that
if the spirit breaks,so does the will. we've both seen that. we've also seen peoplefight to live and win. i believe that'sthe true mystery of god. [laughs softly] no science can havethe answer for that. ah, touchã©. [playing plaintive melody] may i be so bold as to claimthis tune as our own?
are you asking meto dance here, without a chaperon? [chuckles] in paris, couples stareinto each other's eyes during the waltz. i might get dizzy. i'll be your center. make meyour still point.
[henriette laughing] that is it. oh. oh, for luck. and if i am good, he will love me forever. oh, i must get ready. my gown is lilac. it has just arrivedfrom paris.
see you tomorrow, maman. today was a good day? yes, she wasmuch better, thank you. maybe we cantake her home soon? you should know: she told me thatshe didn't have a home. that's ridiculous;of course she-- for now, you must be thankfulfor the good days.
[footsteps receding] (jacques)been sick at her stomach, tired all the time. master say she more troublethan she worth. master havin' company. i supposed to begetting more whiskey. 'stead, i'm here. where is her mother? i don't know.
it is timeto tell us. (simone) it's nothin'. master sayit were time to breed me. [breathes raggedly] you're 12 years old. breed you? who he breed you with? he come in the night. and he say...
i'm a woman now. no! (gerard) jacques. do not make it worse. (simone) master goin' free me so his baby can be free too. it's gonna be all right. same thing happenedto her mother, and she wasn'tall right.
(gerard)henriette. henriette. where are you going? to put a stop to this. [knock at door] [door opens] (woman) oh, miss henriette. may i speakto your master, please? well,he got company. tell himit's an urgent matter.
well, what is it? oh, you. the one feeding niggersat the church. if you want scraps,go round to the kitchen. i've come about simone. i have a housefull of guests. i'm her catechism teacher. the lord's prayer,the ten commandments-- i teach her thatthey apply to white people
as well as black. are you sassin' me? adultery is a sin. what the devilare you talkin' about, standin' at my front door,preachin'? does your wife know that yourmistress is a 12-year-old child? (frank) simone is my slave, nothing more. simone is pregnant. frank?what's the matter?
what's she doin' here? just some high-falutin' quadroonconfused about where she's at. she's just leaving. i was just leaving,myself, monsieur morgan. i would be happy to see the young lady out. oh, you will. so you doknow each other. how about that? madame morgan,
your hospitality was bewitching, as always. merci beaucoup. [door closes] [chains rattle] [horses' hooves clicking] [horse chuffs] what is the matter with you? are you mad? perhaps not as mad as maman,
but in my own small way, yes. you dare to challengea man of my class! do you even care to knowwhat he did? frank morgan and his americansare making a new louisiana. they are the future,ma chã¨re. so you dine with them,and you sell to them. you marry one of them,and now you'll become one of them. we must all survive, ma chã¨re.
maman waits to hear from youevery day. may god help you... and your kind. [dog yelping] [plaintive music] allez. bye, papa. [chuckles]we've come for a visit. oh, my.
oh, amelia's grown. ah, she's finallyfallen asleep. i'm goingto put her down. henriette, please.you're my sister. this ridiculous lawabout covering or braiding your hairhas no place amongst family. i am notyour family, samuel. have i offended youin some way?
i will take care of youas my family. i swear. but you're not marriedto cecelia. you know it's onlythat the law forbids it. have you presentedmy sister and your child to your parents? my parents are in europe, and i'm not closeto my family here. you know that.
do they even know you have a daughter? any of them? i cannot changethe way things are. (cecelia)please, henriette. (henriette)is it just, the way things are? this dr. gerard. cecelia tells me that-- he will not betaking care of me either.
oh, i wasn't asking that. i just thought... perhaps he has introduced youto his parents. oh. well. perhaps when the time comes. [coughing] [sobbing] i told masterif he touch her again, he'd best kill me.
and leave simone alone. (jacques)she goin' on and on about hope. any white churchsellin' hope is sellin' lies. jacques, come on sunday. god's ways are mysterious sometimes, but if you open your heartand pray, i believe you-- pray. pray?
pray for what? for things to get better? i did that already. i guess your god must behavin' a joke with me. (gerard)he has a rightto his anger. perhaps we can only heal his physical wounds. (henriette)i will not give up on him. simone'sway too important.
if i come on sunday,will you sit with me? hmmph. mr. morgan and his wifewould not approve. and thatwould be fantastic. what aboutyou sit with me? thought so. can i walk you home,miss delille? that would be fine, if you're willingto wait.
good night, sir. such beautiful hands that do so much. no. but i wantto be with you, to make my life with you. we can't even sit togetherin church, and i won't be your mistress. i--that is--
what was i thinkingcould come of this? henriette, listen. in front ofall of these people, i ask you... will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? if it were only possible. but it is. in france, we canbe legally married.
france. but my mother, my sister,the church, my school. we can work together,side by side, a man and his wife in francewithout this insanity. but i can't abandonmy people. but what about yourself? what about your happiness? gerard, to be your wife--
oh, just to say that:"your wife," it's like a dream come true, but i can't if it meansi'm running away. do not say nojust yet. i will wait. as long as you want, [soprano chanting,water splattering] [drumming] there's so many of them.
must be the rain. i must say,it's most encouraging. we had 20 more today. welcome them,and they will come. we're also workingon the free families. (morgan) father, you start bringing too many blacks in here, collection plate'sgonna get mighty bare, 'cause no white folks'llbe fillin' it.
all colors haveworshiped here together for generations, sir. (morgan)is that a fact? well, maybewe better start havin' two services,then, huh? (betsie)miss henriette! betsie? miss henriette. you must come quick.
is it cã©lie? it's mr. samuel.there's been an accident. (woman)mr. samuel'saunt's coming. ma'am, the hearseis here. you have to leave. but we haven't evenpaid our respects. ma'am,i'm so sorry. i shouldn'thave let you in in the first place.
what-- but--but--i'm the onlyfamily that he has. he hasn't even methis aunt. miss, please. you have to go. why? how can they do this? i'm his family. [bells pealing]
monsieur blanc? i represent the wardensof father rousselon's church. are you aware of what's beengoin' on these last few months? because it just keepsgettin' worse, and all you do is nip at the edges. [children laughing] i'm gonnacatch you. children, children.come, come.
come. (henriette)a...b...c... why are these lay workerswearing habits? they donated their wardrobesto the needy and simply choseto dress in a uniform more practical for their work. the wardens want to put a stopto all of this work. these women are bringingthis parish to life. we must refuse.
i have... for now. but it's rumoredrome will denounce slavery. our position is precariouswith the americans. they wantthe school closed. they want you out. and i see you'vestarted an infirmary. many of those we helpreturn to mass on sunday. the churchis filling up.
with abandoned slaves. what they're doingis so clearly god's work, and we may not be ableto protect them. oh; oh, no,not this one too. you can't give awayyour ball gown. that onemore than any other. no; i'll keep it. you've been speakingwith betsie about freedom. you're giving awayall your clothes,
and next will bethis cottage, and where will thatleave me and my children? there is no worry.god will care for us. and maman? we'll pray for her. everything samuel left to thechildren--our children-- will be givento his white family. is that how godanswers your prayers? after i have this baby,
it would seem that i willhave to attend a ball because i will need to findsomeone to take care of us. i hope i look as bewitchingas you were when i wear green. (woman) are we taking all this, ma'am? and this one too? thank you, ma'am. [rapping] i cameas soon as i heard. it's bad, miss.
she came too soon. gonna diehere in my arms, and that'll bethe end of this. i give up on your god. (simone) papa? is she here? ask her. i don't wantnone of this. baptize my babybefore she die.
i can't baptize the child. i'll sendfor father rousselon. (woman)but she might diebefore then. there won't be time. please, sister. [whispers]please. heavenly father, bless this water with your spirit, and make it holy.
what namedo you give this child? (henriette) henriette, i baptize youin the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost. (simone)she's safe now. [baby hiccups] (gerard) the baby has a chance to survive. you did the right thing.
(henriette)there wasn't timeto ask for permission, was there? and what if my prayersdon't work? no, no, it was right. you changed the worldfor them tonight. oh, gerard, i felt it. i felt it.i really did. you changedthe world for me. do you know how much?
you make me feel hope. you make me feel likei can make a difference. will you come with meto meet my parents? then we can betogether forever? [giggles]yes. oh, vous ãªtestrã¨s belle. cã©cilia let meborrow her dress. they are goingto love you. allez.
[thunder rolls] [goats bleating, dogs barking] (man)whoa. get out of the way! pardon me? move! what? [animal noises] (woman)any otherpeople here?
(man) i have some paying customers. your people are so dedicatedto making us feel inferior. is this our day, then: you poking me with daggers,me hanging my head? if a man insults me, there is no questionof what i would do. i would oil my pistolsand meet him at twin oaks. i know how to be bravefor that. but this--it is likewalking in a fog.
there are no boundaries. the look on their faces--i wanted to hide from it. i do not knowhow to be brave for this. i love you. we'll both have to learn. i'll depend on youfor strength in it. perhaps we shouldspend some time alone before we fight more ghosts. oh, but i putmy dress on,
and i did my hairto meet your maman. she's expecting usfor dinner. i am afraid. you did tell them. and they... they said, um...they wouldtreat you with kindness. pity. respect. respect for you.
their stomachs will turnat the sight of me. then they'll wash their handstwice before i'm gone. i cannot protect youfrom that. i don't want to be protected. i want to be free of it. you don't understand.you can't. gerard, i do believeyou love me. but you can't make medisappear into your world. henriette, please, no.
let me take you back. i didn't recognize you. i used to hearthe angels sing. i can't hear themanymore. they're still here. i'll see youat the funeral. what funeral? you haven't heard,then? heard what?
simone hemorrhagedin the night. she never woke up. [crying] they found her babysleeping peacefully beside her. i heard what you did. i'm sureit gave her peace. [bell clanging] [woman crying] (henriette)is god so wrathful?
sufferingon top of suffering, with no lesson,no reason? i don't understand,father. bonjour, sister. i've sought;i've prayed. i still do not understand. [whispers] bonjour. draw on your faith. we're not meant to graspeverything at once.
[man crying] that answerdoes not satisfy me. i need to know why. i don't understand. he called you"sister." they all do. haven't you heardthem? you've touched them, and so you've becomea sister of the lord.
i didn't ask for it. no; you say god hasn'thelped the suffering, but he has. he gave them you. but-i-i can't-- do you remember the nightyou came to him? you were abandoned, and yet you knewwhere to come. you knew the solaceit could bring others.
what does god wantfrom me? come on, sister. [knocks once] you cannot give mea second chance? let's beginat the beginning. why were youat the ball that night? i was there lookingfor you, henriette. to be your concubine? i want to be ableto believe you always.
then believe me. because every timei visit my mother and see how she was destroyed because she loved a manfrom a different world-- i am notyour father. i could not abandon you. if i have to choosebetween you and my world-- my parents, even--i'd choose you. we can have a real lifein france,
a real marriage. we can be happy. happy. [whispering]yes, ma chã¨re. i will protect you. people will look at usand shake their heads and wish thatthey'd married for love. [whispering]we will change the world. here.
you don't lookvery well. oh, i'm just tired. perhaps we shoulddelay the departure. no, i'm fine,i'm fine. we'll be fine. you just enjoy whatevertime you have together. [sighs]to be loved and to letyourself be loved, to be touchedso deeply, cã©lie.
you told me,but how could i know? you might as welltake some of these dresses. they don't fit meanymore. you have nothing to worry about. gerard has promised to take care of you and maman. he's gonna help youfight for your inheritance that samuelwanted you to have. oh, you're so lucky.
you must write to me the momentyou set foot in paris. write? you'll visit. we expect youat the wedding. oh, gerard's gonna complainabout my rocks, my books. he's always--
cã©lie? [tapping at door] (gerard) henriette, look what i have. (henriette) it's cecelia. her fever's very high. they saycreoles don't get it, but she got it. there's an outbreak of yellow fever.
it can affect anyone. my medical bag is here. gerard, i-- i-i know. me too. it would be nice to havea conversation between us when one of us does nothave to say how sorry we are. [henriette praying softly] the lord is with thee. [whispering]
quinine solutionis very effective in the-- the lord is with thee. blessed art thouamongst women. blessed is the fruitof thy womb, jesus. holy mary,mother of god, pray for us sinners nowand at the hour of our death. amen. [church bells pealing] you gonna prayfor me, sister?
with all my heart. how is cã©lie? the fever brokejust an hour ago. ah, the quininemixture, it was-- i was tryingsomething new. the quinine hadlittle to do with it. but it was the medicinethat saved her. how many times have you givenmedicine to patients and lost them?
but without it? prayer saved her. how can youbelieve that? because it's true. [man coughing] your sister is well. i do not care why. it does not matter why. this is wonderful,
and we can begin to plan again. henriette, do not turn your backon us. i'm supposed to be here. my work is here. but we can doeven more in france. we can work openly,perhaps build a hospital. and you would notbe accused of corruptingthe slaves.
because there areno slaves. we can healbodies and spirits. i prayedfor the answers, gerard. i found outwhat god wants from me. god has been calling mefor a long time, and i can't deny it. i feel god is workingthrough me. you said you wantedan ordinary life, a life with me.
[whispers]i know. we can't have it. and so now there isnothing for me? here, we cannot even marry. what do you want from me? welcome. thank you, sister. these womenare not sisters.
you must notcall them that. you deceive this parishwith those costumes. i'm sorry,but this time, you'll have to stopwearing them. well, what am ito wear? i've giveneverything away. [sighs]henriette. [sighs]do you know what i seewhen i pray? i see the virgin mary,but her skin is brown.
the slaves inthe gens de couleur need to know thatgod is their god too, and we can't just tell them. color needs to be seenwith their own eyes. god wants black facesworking in his church. henriette, there are forces against you,powerful people who can ruin everythingwe've accomplished. we need to go slow.
are we intended to be frightened into submission? marie? you're crying. the bishop has justbanished me from the parish. banished? yes, i'm being sent upriver to teach wealthy childrenon a plantation. (rousselon)the wardenshave pointed out
that it's become illegal for integrated groupsto work together. (henriette) and you knew about this? the bishop is forcedto disband you. so he's decided to playon the side of the masters. they will also closethe parish schools, since slave childrenare being taught with whites. i am next on their list. this has got to stop.
(blanc) as i see by your costume, obedience is not a virtueyou put much store by. please, your excellence, just hear an idea? there's a house. my friends and i havejust enough money to buy it. with donations,there's a building next door that we can fix upand turn into a mother house. you mean to buildyour own church now,
complete with a convent? and we need youto bless the endeavor. as there are no coloredreligious orders, i would be blessingonly an act of your pride. but you've seentheir faces, those hungry soulsthat worshipin our church. you cannot sayyou are not moved. do you expect the catholicchurch of louisiana to challenge the state?
to start a firethat could sweep away what they've leftof their freedom? but the reward would begreater than the risk. even if i believedyou should be nuns, it can take yearsto receiverome's consideration, and then the answercould well be no. i cannot seehow i can help you. perhaps you don't needto appear to be helping us. this church servesa changing community.
why, that soundspositively threatenin'. i understand you have movedto block my appointment of father rousselonto the cathedral. we will not continueto tolerate interference in church business. i understand you fileda lawsuit against us. rather extreme reaction. i thought you should know i also am connected withthe courts down in the delta,
and i can assure youmoney will win out in the end. and i can assure you the rape of a childis considered a sin, even in the delta. there are no secretsin this parish. what about baptizinga half-breed bastard child outside the church? a warden of the churchshould be above reproach,
especially one married tosomeone as pious as your wife. but, as i said, the church is hereto serve the whole community. may i suggest instead we let them builda place of their own? the coloreds? they'll never do it. but we mustlet them build it. and if they fail,they fail on their own terms,
'cause if they don't, there's no tellin'what trouble they'll cause, your excellence. [birds chirping] maman? you're so thin. i thought you promised methat you would eat. and you...you look like a nun. you should wearmore color.
green. it goes so wellwith your eyes. oh. ohh. how we dancedat the ball. your papa never dancedwith another woman after he waltzed with me. [wailing softly] [sobs] (julie) it's hard to imagine this as a convent.
at this rate, it'll take us years to raise enough money to fix it up. we don't haveyears to waste. to be an effective order,we need a place to live, an infirmaryproperly equipped, a school. what about your house? sell my house? the cottage isn'tmine to sell. cecelia needs itto raise a family.
my parents workedthemselves to death to leave that place to me. am i now to considergiving all that up? in the name of god. i think your parentswould be proud to know their legacy is beingused to serve the community. julie, we need to severall of our attachments. and gerard? were you able to saygood-bye so easily?
good-bye? i thought you knew. he's goingback to france, ree, within a month. for coming. i wasn't sure you would. i've been offered a postat a hospital in nice, a teaching hospital, quite experimental.
you'll makea wonderful teacher. henriette, why am i here? uh, my reason... our church has runout of building funds. is that all i am to you? i--no-- you might as wellhave stayed at the ball. that was uncalled for. the truth is, i wantedto know whether you still--
i will always love you. my parents have cut me off for refusing to marry the suitable womanthey have found. a year ago, i might have, but you changed me. so...now we bothwork for the poor, alone, apart. gerard, i'm sorry.
sorry. is that why godmade us twin souls, so we could be so unhappy? such beautiful hands. henriette,it's official. the bishop sayswe can build a church if we can raisethe funds. (men and women)♪ ride on, king jesus. ♪ ♪ ride on. ♪
♪ no one can a-hinder me. ♪ ♪ ride on, king jesus. ♪ ♪ no one can a-hinder-- ♪ ♪ in that greatgettin-up morning, ♪ ♪ fare thee well,fare thee well. ♪ ♪ fare thee well,fare thee well. ♪ ♪ (children) un, deux, trois. [pounding] [man speaking french-latin]
(all)hallelujah. (woman) hallelujah. [people laughingand talking] (woman)praise god. (people)♪ ride on, king jesus. ♪ ♪ no one can a-hinder me. ♪ ♪ is it not illegalfor blacks to congregate? yes, it is. well, somethingwill have to be done.
our first service. giving up my housewas worth it. we may notbe nuns as yet, but the bishopwill have toat the very least recognizeour dedication. um...the bishophas arranged for you to study as novices at st. michael's. he feels you need experienceliving in a religious community. so the wardens got usout of their church,
and the bishop... he will petitionthe vaticanupon your completion. in the meantime, he has appointed meto your church. he's a clever man. our parish isvery lucky to have you. i'm only disappointed we're suddenlyso far from our goal. ree,
remember sister martha, when we werein school? no cross, no crown? we are goingto see this through, until the pope himselfinvites us to rome and says, "you must besister julie. i have heardso much about you." [all laughing] [women singing in latin]
what are you doing? being a nun. ah, that sense of humor again. do you see the chapel? i'd say it hasn't been cleanedthis week. no, we just finished. i'll returnto inspect it... after dinner.
shall we just cut your tongue out and be over with it? julie, what are wesupposed to learn here? how to keepa convent spotless. we could be servingon the outside, teaching. scrub. scrub, scrub. augh!
scrub,scrub, scrub! would you likesome help? (henriette) reverend mother. jesus washed the feetof his apostles. mother superior. (henriette)oh, reverend mother. i'm sorry. there's something thatthese flowers at night reminds meof my mother's perfume.
does it make you sad? when i was a novice,i was too proud to admit my previous lifestill mattered for me. the more i pretended, the worse it felt. i worry that conqueringmy own pride is impossible. that's what the scrubbingis for: to help you sleep. did you love someone? i thought so. i try to forget.
i try to stop. why? do you thinkbecause you're becoming a nun, you stop being a woman? you must bring all of yourself to service, through humanity,which will give you compassion for those who most needto be saved. good night, chã¨re. good night,reverend mother.
father! it's yellow fever. so many are sick. i'm sorry, butthe infirmary is closed. please, father. the hospitals are full. they're eventurning away white folks. um... run to thest. michael's convent.
tell sister henrietteand julie. tell them to comefast as they can run. [people moaning] sister henriette,the hospital full. done turn us away. master morgan,he's sick bad with fever. he needin' tending. (henriette) put him here on the table. i will pay for a bed.
mrs. morgan,the beds are taken. your money won't make a difference here. (mrs. morgan)i can pay for anything you need. your money can't evenbuy quinine. only doctors can get it, and we don't have one here. i'll take care of her. (julie)there are more coming,
white and black. look at this.we need a miracle. short of that,you must rest. marie! [marie gasps]henriette. oh, marie. i heard what'sbeen happening here while i wason the plantation. marie.
[marie gasps]quinine? oh, my goodness. who could've sent youthis much quinine? only a doctor. (gerard)"my dear henriette, "you know my wish is "to give you so much morethan mere medicine. "wheneveryou are in need, "look to your heart,and i will be there.
love, gerard." [labored breathing] please help him. [breathing rapidly] [whispering]please. i'm so cold. [breathing becomes louder] can you forgive me? i'll sendfor father rousselon.
[whispers]sister. i'm--i'm frightened. sister, forgive me. (henriette) i will pray for your forgiveness, mr. morgan. (woman) father! father! father! they're coming to burn the church!
[knocking] (man)fire! fire! (henriette) get everyone out. fire! everyone out. (julie) henriette! (henriette) get everyone out! [fire crackling] come on. (man #1) hurry! hurry!
hurry! (man #1) over here. (man #2) okay. hold onto me. let's go.let's go! i suppose you broughtthe fires of hell right to your doorstep. you have to go now. (child) sister, help!
[people shouting] we have to leave now. (woman) are all the children out? [children shouting] [child shrieks] (man) out this way. everyone up.come on. [fire roaring] [people coughing]
is everybody out? julie! henriette! julie. julie? oh, my god. julie's inside! henriette! julie.god help us!
hurry! hurry! hurry! hurry! let it burn. (man)yeah, let it burn. julie! [debris clatters] [gasping] you are my hope. you are my life.
i love you, and i will die for you. whoa. [timbers clattering] (jacques) sister henriette! (henriette) jacques! look at the angel god has sent us. rest; i'll help you. sister julie.
uh...sister henriette, you'll need funds. let me look and see what's in the coffersof the diocese. oh, thank you,your excellence. thank you, my child. no, wait. let it be. it will give everyonesomething to think about.
sister. master's wife freed usthis mornin'. she paid the feefor all of us: the entire household and the field slaves. oh, god bless her. i always dreamt of this day. i figuredmy first day of freedom, i was gonna sleeptill i wake up.
then i was gonna roll overand go back to sleep again. 'stead, i got my lifepacked up, and i'm gonna beon a riverboatby sundown, and that feels mighty fine. god bless you. good-bye, sister. and thank you for everything. [ringing] (williams)henriette's community receiveda formal religious rule of life,
adopted a habit,and pronounced their vows. they boughtthe old orleans ballroom and converted itinto a sanctuary for education and the needy. today, they continue to servicethe poor, the sick, and the illiterate. captioning by captionmaxwww.captionmax.com
