Hail Mary

Marie is a student who also works at her father's Swiss gas station and plays basketball for a local team. She proclaims she is a virgin and maintains a strict, chaste relationship with her boyfriend Joseph. These ordinary details establish the grounded life before the film's extraordinary events unfold.

Joseph remains loyal to Marie despite her vow of chastity, while Juliette tries to lure him away. The tension comes from the possibility of infidelity in their social circle. The scenario tests their commitment to each other.

Uncle Gabriel arrives by jet plane, accompanied by a small girl who acts as his secretary, delivering an unsettling message. He prophesies that Marie will become pregnant despite remaining chaste, shocking both Marie and Joseph. The extraordinary claim sets the film on a path toward a sacred pregnancy.

Joseph cannot believe that Marie could be pregnant while remaining a virgin, and he accuses her of sleeping around. He wrestles with jealousy and doubt as the baby’s arrival seems impossible. The couple's trust is strained as rumors swirl around them.

Gabriel aggressively teaches Joseph to accept the pregnancy as part of a larger plan. He urges him to shift from accusation to faith and support for Marie’s destiny. The moment marks a turn from conflict to submission to a divine script.

Marie withdraws into meditation, sometimes angry, sometimes serene, as elemental images of sun, moon, clouds, flowers, and water surface in her thoughts. The inner work helps her come to terms with the miraculous pregnancy. This spiritual practice anchors her resolve.

In a parallel thread, Eva, a college student, becomes involved with her professor who theorizes that life on Earth arose from a guided extraterrestrial intelligence. The romance introduces themes of desire and forbidden knowledge outside conventional boundaries. The professor eventually leaves back East, leaving Eva distraught.

With Gabriel's help, Marie learns to 'touch' her partner without physical contact, opening a new way for Joseph to be close to her. Joseph pledges to be Marie's shadow, supporting her path and the mysterious pregnancy. The exchange deepens their bond while keeping the sacred process central.

Joseph pledges to act as Marie's shadow, standing by her side as she moves through the pregnancy. Marie remarks that this role mirrors a broader spiritual truth about male presence and divine influence. Their relationship evolves from suspicion to unified purpose.

The couple marries, and Marie ultimately gives birth to a son. They raise him together, merging love, faith, and family life with the miracle that began their journey. The birth marks a concrete, domestic culmination of the pregnancy arc.

As the boy grows, he eventually leaves home to pursue 'his father's business,' signaling the next generation's path. Marie and Joseph watch him depart with a sense of purpose and legacy. The family dynamic shifts as the son steps into a role tied to the family's identity.

In the film's closing arc, Marie continues to explore her sexuality, seeking to link her body and spirit in a broader sense of self. The final moments emphasize personal growth, spiritual integration, and a renewed sense of agency. The story returns to a highly personal plane of transformation.