In 1942, in an occupied Paris, the apolitical grocer Edmond Batignole lives with his wife and daughter in a small apartment in the building of his grocery. When his future son-in-law and collaborator of the German Pierre-Jean Lamour calls the Nazis to arrest the Jewish Bernstein family, they move to the confiscated apartment. Some days later, the young Simon Bernstein escapes from the Germans and comes to his former home. When Batignole finds him, he feels sorry for the boy and lodges him, hiding Simon from Pierre-Jean and also from his wife. Later, two cousins of Simon meet him in the cellar of the grocery. When Pierre-Jean finds the children, Batignole decides to travel with the children to Switzerland.
Acting
Jugnot's face does three acts of character development.
Writing
Collaborator son-in-law as petty domestic villain—brilliant.
Production
Period detail that feels lived-in, not museum-piece.
Director
Gérard Jugnot
Gérard Jugnot
Edmond Batignole
Jules Sitruk
Simon Bernstein
Michèle Garcia
Marguerite Batignole
Jean-Paul Rouve
Pierre-Jean Lamour
Alexia Portal
Micheline Batignole
Violette Blanckaert
Sarah Cohen
Daphné Baiwir
Guila Cohen
Götz Burger
SS Col. Spreich
Élisabeth Commelin
Irène
Hubert Saint-Macary
Gendarmerie lieutenant
Daniel Martin
Brigadier Albert
Nadine Spinoza
Rachel Bernstein
Damien Jouillerot
Martin
Philippe du Janerand
René, administrator
Marie-Gaëlle Cals
Edwige
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jugnot was a beloved French comic who deliberately subverted his 'nice guy' persona here; the casting itself interrogates audience comfort with familiar faces.
The film's modest budget forced location shooting in Hungary standing in for Paris—ironically, another occupied territory.
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