In one of the most courageous characterizations of her celebrated career, Huppert's 2001 Cannes award-winning performance effortlessly illuminates the darkest corners of the human psyche. Based on Elfriede Jelinek's controversial 1983 novel, The Piano Teacher tells the story of Erika (Huppert), a middle-aged masochistic classical piano instructor, who becomes involved with a vain and handsome student who tragically mistakes her unraveling sanity for passionate ardor.
