Gillian Gill

The petite waitress Johnny works and lives in a truck-stop, where she's lonely and longs for love. She develops a crush on the garbage truck driver Krassky, although her sleazy boss Boris warns her that he's gay.

A lovely summer day in Paris. Roger and Martine are on their way to work. "Work" is a euphemism because Martine is a prostitute in Pigalle. She is saving money to buy the house of her dreams in the country. Her husband Roger "works" for the same goal, but in a brothel for women. There, duchesses rub elbows with businesswomen, militant members of women's lib and other female pleasure-seekers.

Édith Giovanna Gassion is born in 1915. As a young girl she sings on the streets of Paris until a nightclub owner, Louis Leplée, discovers her. When he is murdered the composer Raymond Asso takes care of her and lets her perform at the ABC theatre, which leads to her breakthrough.

A luxurious house stands in a deserted region, contrasting with its surroundings. It is a house of prostitution and its inmates are brought there against their will. One of them, Yvette, is helped to escape by Mr Gaston, a regular customer and she tells the story of her ordeal to the police.

Inspector Balboss, a corrupt police officer with a criminal streak, takes under his wing a young vagrant he meets by chance and sets about teaching him the tricks of the trade.

Gilles, who operates a money losing garage, teams up with his friends Max, who operates a scrap yard, and lawyer Xavier to open a brothel catering to women. They get the idea from Gilles' secretary Irma, a former prostitute. They are assisted in the implementation by Max's wife Juliette and Sabine who is mad for Gilles. Unfortunately Gilles has fallen for Florence the daughter of the conservative Prime Minister and his wife. When the Prime Minister tries to shut down the brothel Gilles decides to stand against him in the election.

Aloise creates a series of haunting drawings while she is incarcerated in an institution for the insane in turn-of-the-century Switzerland. She endures torments as a musically gifted girl and later as a young woman; her developing madness and the barbaric treatments of the time are shown.

A group of friends is shaken when the girl falls in love. But the three boys will do anything to stop the romance.