Au fond des bois (Deep in the Woods)

Director: Benoît Jacquot
Writer: Benoît Jacquot, Julien Boivent
Cast: Jérôme Kircher, Isild Le Besco, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart
Language: French
Theatrical Release Date: Wed Oct 13 00:00:00 EDT 2010
Awards: 2011 Academy Awards Best Animated Short Film
On The Web IMDB Entry homepage

Synopsis: In 1865, Timothee, a wanderer, arrives in a village in southern France pretending he is deaf and mute. There, he is struck by the beauty of a young woman, Josephine, and asks for hospitality at the house of Dr Hughes, her father. At dinner, he makes strange tricks inducing weird reactions in Josephine. The next day, he comes back when she is alone and makes her fall in a state of hypnotic lethargy before taking advantage of her. Overwhelmed by his powerful hypnotic gift, she follows him even though she seems to be disgusted and afraid of him. He takes her deep into the woods and continues to abuse her until he is arrested and tried. But how did Josephine accept to follow him? [Synopsis courtesy IMDb]