The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

O Escafandro e a Borboleta

Theatre 5€

Friday 2 October · 21:00

A theatre piece based on the true story of journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby, who after a stroke wrote The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by blinking his one working eye.

Synopsis On 8 December 1995, a stroke plunges journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby into a deep coma. When he wakes up, he discovers that all his motor functions are impaired. He is locked inside his body — he can only control the movement of one eye. It is that organ that becomes his connection to the world and to life. It is by blinking that he begins to indicate 'yes' or 'no', then moves on to signalling letters of the alphabet, building words and sentences. It is also how he will write The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the sentences of which he memorised before dictating them. That book and this true story inspired the film starring Mathieu Amalric and directed by Julian Schnabel, which won the Best Director prize at Cannes 2007. Prices General ticket - €5 Discount [only at local box office]: CAES - Sintra Performing Arts Card - €2.50