“I wrote Novitiate because I saw in a nun’s world a unique and profound way to explore the subject of the way women love. That is what remains at the heart of the story for me. … When I finished this movie, I had a new understanding of religion. I have now a deep sense of admiration and enduring empathy for nuns. Not to mention all the extraordinary sacrifices these women were willing to make, in the name of their love and faith.”