Pierre and Manon are poor. They make documentaries with nothing and they live by doing odd jobs. Pierre meets a young intern, Elisabeth, and she becomes his mistress. But Pierre will not leave Manon for Elisabeth; he wants to keep both.
Sucre Amer tells the story of a unique court case in which an event from the past is judged by a court of history. Major figures from history are brought together in the present to re-examine the "Ignace case", about a legendary figure in the history of Guadeloupe who fought against the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte to preserve his freedom. A hero despite himself, Ignace's life and struggle were subsequently consigned to oblivion by his enemies. His treatment has left a bittersweet taste in the mouths of the people of Guadeloupe.
The fantasies and dreams of two over-the-hill actresses are intertwined with their realities, as the two roommates struggle to survive their day-to-day lives in the expensive and difficult world of Paris.
Catherine, 18, loved Jean, a young accountant, who loved her in return. And yet, one morning, two policemen find their dead bodies on a stretch of waste ground. The case is obvious: the two young people have killed themselves. But why? Chief Inspector Ernest Plonche, feeling upset, decides to investigate personally.
Thérèse, a young flower girl, tries hard to remain virtuous but the whole world seems to conspire against her, whether her petty Paris family, or her relatives in the province bristling with false respectability, or her lustful employer, or the boy she loves who seduces her and abandons her. But at the end of the day there is Yvon, her childhood friend. Will he be the one that will love her truly?