Jean-Marie Duprez

The story takes place in Carhaix, in the heart of Brittany. A small hospital, with a calm maternity clinic, where few births take place. Mathilde, a mid-wife, Firmine, a pediatric nurse, and Louise, the owner of the Carhaix bowling alley, are all friends and lead a happy existence. Catherine, director of the establishment's Human Resources, is sent to restructure the hospital and, most importantly, to eventually shut down the maternity clinic, which is losing money. Four women whose age, personalities, and origins are different, but who will form a quartet overflowing with humanity and humor as they join forces to save the clinic. Life, love, friendship, Brittany and... bowling.

Isabelle est une trentenaire célibataire (depuis qu'elle est divorcée). Elle est belle, sexy, drôle, émouvante, intelligente... Irrésistible ! Elle est numéro 2 d'un journal qu'elle a créé avec Brice son partenaire et qu'elle dirige d'une main de fer même pas recouverte d'un gant de velours ! Tous les hommes sont fous d'elle. Tous ! Trois en particuliers ! Son fils, Achille, 10 ans, qui depuis le

The Arbac de Neuvilles are one of the oldest families in France. They have inhabited their ancient château for fifty-two generations and are proud of their noble ancestry. But today they are stone broke. When a bailiff turns up notifying them that they owe two million euros in back taxes, these proud aristocrats are understandably shaken to the core of their ancestral seat. Just how are they to find this amount of money when none of them has any capacity for work?

The Arbac de Neuvilles are one of the oldest families in France. They have inhabited their ancient château for fifty-two generations and are proud of their noble ancestry. But today they are stone broke. When a bailiff turns up notifying them that they owe two million euros in back taxes, these proud aristocrats are understandably shaken to the core of their ancestral seat. Just how are they to find this amount of money when none of them has any capacity for work?

Michel, was born in Latin America, "on the other side of the world", as the script emphasizes, of a French father he hardly knew at all. He goes to Paris to start a new life. His only possession is a painting which his father left him, along with the advice: "If you ever need to sell the painting, do so in France, where it's worth a fortune." But Michel discovers that his father's tumultuous and secret past comes along with the valuable painting. Meanwhile, Clara, a middle age Spanish-Argentine mother gets a strange present from a now dying childhood friend in Buenos Aires. It's a roll of Super 8 film which brings back very strong, and emotionally charged memories from the 1970s and before.

Martin and Gert lead a very quiet life, until the day when their path crosses that of Marie and Francis. Martin, the shy one, lets himself be seduced by Marie. Gert wasted no time in understanding and dropped into Francis' arms.

In this whimsical fable, Resnais deftly interweaves three story lines: the creation of an early-20th-century utopia; romantic high jinks at a school conference; and a fantasy sparked by F/X pioneer Georges Méliès.