Maria Into Life

Middle-aged Maria (Karin Viard) works as a cleaner, one who has always taken great pride in hard work. Kind-hearted and devoted to her clients, her secret passion is writing poems on her daily commute, though she never shares them with anyone (least of all her indifferent husband of 25 years). But when Maria joins the cleaning staff of Paris’ prestigious École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts), everything changes. As she goes about her work through the hallways and classrooms of the hallowed institution, Maria discovers a new world of creative expression, assisted in no small part by Hubert (Gregory Gadebois), the school’s eccentric, long-time custodian. Usually reserved and discreet, Maria finds herself torn by new emotions, and must decide how much of her true self she’s prepared to reveal. (Palace Films)