It is based on the true story of Marie Heurtin (1885–1921), a girl who was born deafblind in late 19th century France.

[2][3] In 1885, Marie Heurtin, the daughter of a humble artisan and his wife, is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her.

Desperate to find a connection with Marie and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins send her to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls.

There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite sees in Marie a unique potential and, despite her Mother Superior's skepticism, vows to bring the wild girl out of the darkness into which she was born.

Shooting for the filming took place in Ain – including Montluel and Hauteville-Lompnes – as well as in Isère.