"Story of Women" is a 1988 French drama film directed by Claude Chabrol and stars Isabelle Huppert as Marie Latour. The film is loosely based on the real-life story of Marie-Louise Giraud, who was executed in France for performing abortions during World War II.
Marie Latour is a housewife and a mother of two children during the German occupation of France. Her husband, who is a soldier, returns home with a serious injury. However, Marie is disillusioned with her domestic life and yearns for more excitement. She starts an affair with a young musician and rents a room to a prostitute, which brings in extra money.
Things take a drastic turn when Marie's friend, Lucie, dies from a botched abortion. Marie takes over Lucie's underground abortion business and starts performing illegal abortions on women, which brings in significant income. However, when a woman dies from an abortion, Marie is arrested and eventually executed for her crimes.
The film addresses themes of gender roles, morality, and desperation during wartime. Isabelle Huppert's powerful performance as Marie Latour earned her critical acclaim and a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.