In 1956, the rich French publisher of the works of the Marquis de Sade, Jean-Jacques Pauvert, was summoned to court for violating good morals and publishing pornography. Sade was born in 1755 and already in 1778 he was sentenced to a years-long prison, which was renewed by himself because of the writing of "scandalous" texts. This saved his life after the French revolution, but he soon came into conflict with Robespierre.
Paul Reynaud
The story of Georges Mandel, an anti-Nazi French parliamentarian who refused to abdicate to the Vichy regime.
le père
It’s summer, on the beach of this little town in Brittany, a man is building a sand castle. A few people watch him. We will be told the story of three of them: a boy, Jumbo, aged 9; François and his sister Zaza. All of them had to deal with the death of somebody they cherished.
Paul Verlaine
The tragic life of 19th century French poet Arthur Rimbaud, as told by characters that knew him.
On vacation in the country, a group of friends are requisitioned by a city official to work at the slaughterhouse.
The psychologist
Divorced parents are concerned about the behavior of their teenage son who is rebelling against society.
l'ingénieur
Edouard Binet, an aimless Frenchman, has been travelling in North Africa for many years, and is sailing to Belgium. En route, he meets Sylvie Baron. He introduces her to Nemrod Lobetoum, a rich Egyptian carrying valuable jewelry, and Sylvie and Nemrod become friends. Their friendship escalates to love, which makes Edouard jealous. Days later, Edouard arrives at a rooming house owned by Mme. Louise Baron, Sylvie's mother, wearing blood-stained clothes. It appears that Nemrod was killed on a train after he arrived in France, but Edouard denies any knowledge of what happened. Sylvie suspects that Edouard is responsible for Nemrod's death, but by now her mother has become Edouard's ally.
Stephane (Victor Lanoux) is the mayor of a small village. He is also the manager of the tannery which provides the inhabitants with work. In a fit of anger, he kills his wife (Edith Scob). A judge (Jean Carmet) tries to prove his culpability, but it's not an easy task, because there is a political and social pressure.
La voix forte
A young man is checked into a mental hospital for unexplained reasons.
