Set Me Free

In 1963, Hanna, a 13-year-old girl living on a rural Quebec farm, experiences her first period. The moment interrupts family dinner and exposes the lack of supportive guidance about puberty. Spurred by the upheaval, she decides to return to her parents in Montreal.

Hanna arrives at a small Montreal apartment and is reunited with her brother Paul. The family struggles with rent and money, often pawning household items to cover costs. Her father, an aspiring poet who survived the Holocaust, alternates between tenderness and controlling outbursts.

Her father shares memories of his former wife and urges Hanna to read The Diary of Anne Frank, linking family history to present hardship. Her mother is depressed, working long hours and typing her husband's poems at home. The fragile domestic balance shapes Hanna's search for belonging.

While wrestling with puberty, Hanna sneaks into a cinema to see Godard's Vivre Sa Vie and is captivated by Nana's sense of personal responsibility. She begins imitating Karina's poses and style as a way to craft her own identity. The film's influence becomes a throughline for her self-image.

On her first day at a new school, Hanna openly states that her parents are not married and that she does not identify as Jewish or Catholic. The revelation draws taunts and suspicion from classmates. The dynamics foreshadow a teacher stepping in to defend her later.

A teacher who resembles Karina admires Hanna's independence but cautions her to form her own view of life rather than copying a film icon. The teacher's defense offers a potential mentor in Hanna's evolving self-perception. Hanna's resolve to be independent remains central.

Hanna attends a dance with her friend Laura, and they share a kiss, marking a new exploration of sexuality. She introduces Laura to Paul and the three spend time together, reflecting a shifting trio of relationships. The experience underscores Hanna's sense of growing autonomy and isolation.

After a quarrel with her husband, Hanna's mother attempts suicide. Hanna visits the hospital and finds her sedated mother unresponsive, deepening her sense of familial distance. The moment reveals the fragility of Hanna's home life.

Following a bread errand, Hanna is taken to the bakery's back kitchen where a worker gropes her. He gives her bread and money but the abuse leaves a lasting mark on her sense of safety. The incident exposes the predatory danger lurking in her world.

After a dispute with her father, Hanna and Paul leave the apartment and she does not return. She wanders into the city, befriends a lost dog, and begins adopting the pose and attitudes of a prostitute, echoing Karina's character. Her state of mind grows increasingly unsettled.

Hanna continues to roam the city’s fringes, befriending a lost dog and deepening the Karina-inspired persona she’s been cultivating. The urban environment amplifies her isolation and curiosity about adult roles. The line between imitation and selfhood becomes increasingly blurred.

A man picks Hanna up and takes her to a cheap hotel room, where he tries to force himself on her. She resists the assault and flees, asserting her agency in a dangerous moment. The incident sharpens her resolve to seek safety and return home.

Driven almost to despair, Hanna collapses on her teacher's doorstep with her dog; they are discovered in the morning. This moment signals a turning point toward seeking help and repair. The dog remains a steady companion through the crisis.

Hanna returns to the family apartment, where her father welcomes her back with a dinner prepared for the occasion. Back at school, she is loaned a small movie camera by her teacher, who promises she will learn to use it. The film ends with shots from the camera of Hanna's mother as they head to the grandparents' house for the summer.