On the eve of his 78th birthday, the ailing, alcoholic writer Clive Langham spends a painful and sleepless night mentally composing and recomposing scenes for a novel in which characters based on his own family are shaped by his fantasies and memories, alongside his caustic commentary on their behaviour.
Sarah, an actress nearing her forties, has invited 3 friends to join her for a holiday in Provence. This is the prologue for what happened a year ago in Paris with a man Sarah had long considered a platonic friend. She had just finished a film, had also finished her relationship with the director and was about to receive an award…
At the end of World War II, a village witnesses and participates in the conflict between border guards and smugglers. Between good and bad deals, hypocrisy, zest for life, self-serving love affairs, and existential doubts, the story, which offers a fresh and realistic glimpse into rural life, ends in tragedy.
