The convict

A convict’s fight against injustice and the conditions of detention for women sentenced to exile until the end of the 19th century

1902, Rennes Central Prison.
Gabrielle was 21 when she was arrested for attempting to poison her boss. Despite proclaiming her innocence, she was sentenced to life imprisonment in French Guiana. Crammed into a cage in the hold of a ship with two hundred other women, Gabrielle crossed the Atlantic and, upon arrival, discovered lush vegetation, humid heat, and the “convent,” the women’s prison. The conditions of detention are harsh, with the women forced to sew for a pittance, receiving no care and having only the prospect of marriage to former convicts as an escape.
After several months of this regime, Gabrielle decides to escape, without giving up on making her voice heard and proving her innocence.