AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE
Sophie Armant was born during the Age of Enlightenment to a humble rural family. Her childhood during the French Revolution was a period of liberating idealism and chaotic violence. As a young woman, Sophie is high-spirited but timid; she has crippling fears of conflict and of carriage accidents. Her unlikely marriage to Jean-Pierre Blanchard, an aeronautics icon from her childhood, opens up a new world of possibility. When her aging husband is struck by tragedy and financial ruin, Sophie must overcome her phobias, social norms, and real physical dangers to succeed as a balloonist and save her family.
Sophie's skill and bravery catapult her to international stardom and the favor of Emperor Napoleon and of King Louis XVIII. Boldly traveling the skies on her own, Sophie becomes the premiere balloonist in Europe during her 14-year career. When her life is cut short during a performance, she is transformed into a cautionary tale and remembered primarily as "the first female victim of an aerial accident" for the next two centuries.
Now Sophie Blanchard's inspiring life and many extraordinary feats will return to light through the magic of animation.