Darling (2007)

In Heurteuville, a small town in Normandy, Darling has a hard life. When she is born, her parents are not happy about her arrival, especially since they would have preferred a boy to join her two brothers. She grows up on her own, and the only person who takes a liking to her is the baker. She is also chubby and does little to inspire sympathy. Her world consists of truck drivers she contacts on the CB radio to put them on the right road: she dreams of marrying one, and her wish comes true! Unfortunately, the friendly truck driver drinks too much and loses his license. Meanwhile, one newborn after another arrives. Her husband’s idleness and drinking get worse, and he brings easy women into the marital bed. He becomes violent toward his wife, to the point that she has to run away. If she leaves her children behind, it is so she can work and support them, but the court convicts her of abandoning her family. Later, the father loses custody of them because they are left to fend for themselves, and when their mother collects them from their temporary home, they greet her with, “Hello, ma’am.” With them, she watches the truck drivers go by and teaches them the little she knows: “An upside-down V with a bar through it is called an A,” and then, “Over there, the truck with an 8 but with a bar on the left means a B, and that it’s a Belgian.” She has never experienced or received any of life’s good moments, but she stubbornly believes in herself, refuses to press charges against anyone or even be hospitalized, and even wonders whether all of this might be her fault.