Pierre, a French professor of quantum physics, inherits an inn from his aunt Jeanne in the Lac St-Jean region. He arrives with his daughter and settles in the small village of Sainte-Simone-du-Nord, home to just 400 residents. The locals, however, greet these “strangers” with suspicion—especially the village mayor, who once had a falling-out with Jeanne, the Frenchwoman. He manages to rally the townspeople to make life difficult for these newcomers from across the Atlantic. Yet Pierre’s good humor is unshakable, and he refuses to be discouraged—even without electricity, heat, water, or a car.
Acting
Pierre Richard's rubber-faced optimism carries every scene.
Practical Effects
Real Quebec village locations, no electricity needed for authenticity.
Writing
Mayor Méo's petty schemes escalate beautifully.
Director
Robert Ménard
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Sainte-Simone-du-Lac is fictional, but filmed in authentic Lac-Saint-Jean villages—Quebec's answer to 'local color' cinema with actual locals.
Pierre Richard, 75 at filming, did his own pratfalls including the frozen lake sequence—no stunt double, just French comedy legend stubbornness.
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