In a village in the Ardennes, during the German occupation, finding rations is becoming almost impossible. Clovis, an ordinary labourer, decides to cross the occupied zone to bring back enough potatoes to feed his family. His plan is a success but Clovis rapidly becomes obsessed with storing the precious tubers.
Acting
Pierre Perret's descent from everyman to tuber-obsessed madman.
Direction
Autant-Lara balances occupation dread with escalating potato farce.
Director
Claude Autant-Lara
Pierre Perret
Clovis Parizel
Henri Virlogeux
Parizel senior
Bérengère Dautun
Mathilde
Christine Aurel
Traveler
Pascale Roberts
Fifine
Jacques Balutin
'P'tit Louis'
Gérard Buhr
Serge
Marc Eyraud
Maurice
René Havard
Lulu
Lucien Hubert
Guignard
Bernard Lajarrige
Bourg-Fidèle Mayor
Hubert de Lapparent
Bayochet
Jeanne Allard
Paulette
Rufus
Larobesse
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Autant-Lara was a controversial figure—former Vichy propagandist making occupation comedies raised eyebrows in 1969 France.
Pierre Perret was primarily a singer-songwriter; this was his dramatic breakout, inspired by his own childhood memories of wartime rationing.
FR
