An Angel at My Table (1991)

Being a bit of an oddball should be a harmless predisposition, but idiosyncrasy is punishable in many parts of the world as if it were a crime. Janet Frame, the real-life heroine of the autobiographical An Angel at My Table (1991), was always perceived as a moderate to acute weirdo, even among the several siblings of her immediate family. Crafty as well as kooky, Janet managed to excel in her studies and even attained a position as a teacher. But being different comes with a price, and the highly individualistic Miss Frame is locked away in a nut house for eight years. Freedom and acceptance only come when she begins to write the story of her life, in three volumes, all of which are mined by award-winning director Jane Campion for scenes of soul-stirring inspiration in An Angel at My Table.