In 1979, the words of Gaby Brimmer reached a wide readership in Mexico, with the release of her autobiography, a memoir chronicling a writer's struggle for self-expression - the stuff of many first hooks Yet this was no ordinary life, for Gaby Brimmer was born with physical disabilities so severe that she could not speak or walk or use her hands Gaby's book was written on an electric typewriter, which she operated using her one functional limb, her left foot Filmmaker Luis Mandoki saw Gaby on TV shortly after her book was released and was so impressed that he resolved immediately to make a film of her life It took him a month to meet Gaby, seven years to bring her story to the screen After her parents settled in Mexico in 1938, having fled the persecution of Austria, Gaby was nursed by an extraordinary woman (played here by Argentinean actress Norma Aleandro, Oscar nominated for the role earlier this year) who encouraged her intellectual growth and education, teaching her to talk via the use of an alphabet board and a typewriter, virtually devoting her life to Gaby's development Their mutual determination gradually pays off as Gaby progresses through high school and eventually university, despite the resistance of a multitude of forces around them, ranging from individuals to educational institutions.

In his second feature, Mexican born director Luis Mandoki presents us with a film thankfully free of the sentimental and manipulative elements usually found in films of this ilk Continually subverting audience expectations, Mandoki has crafted a film of dignity and grace based on a powerful, true story.