June 1940, near Saumur. During the exodus, the bridges having been destroyed, a group of refugees, brought together by the chance of fleeing the advancing German troops, build a raft to cross the Loire to evacuate a sick little girl.
Cinematography
Black-and-white Loire landscapes that breathe exhaustion and hope.
Acting
Henri Vilbert's industrialist—pride crumbling into unexpected grace.
Director
Jean Gourguet
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot during the Algerian War, this forgotten French New Wave-adjacent drama was deliberately ignored by critics who found its pacifist humanism politically awkward.
Director Jean Gourguet built the actual raft himself after the budget collapsed; the dangerous river crossings are unstaged documentary tension.
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