Georges Bess masterfully adapts Victor Hugo's classic novel of unrequited love set in the midst of medieval Paris in 1482 as it takes its turns toward the modern era. Quasimodo, a deformed bellringer in Notre Dame cathedral, is hopelessly in love with the gypsy girl Esmeralda who has falsely been condemned as a witch by the archdeacon. In hopes of saving her from a fiery fate, he hides her in the cathedrals tower, but safety isn't as assured as simply staying out of sight. The Notre-Dame Cathedral casts a shadow over the entire tale, both literally and figuratively.
