Liliane Gaudet

Professor Henri Laborit uses three people's stories to discuss behaviourist theories of survival, combat, rewards and punishment, and anxiety: René is a technical manager at a textile factory and must face the anxiety caused by corporate downsizing; Janine is a self-educated actress/stylist who learns that the wife of her lover is dying and must decide to let them reunite; and Jean is a controversial career-climbing writer/politician at a crossroads in life.

A strict father imposes impossible guidelines on his disabled daughter which reflect his secret and tortured life.

Real estate developer Bob Hansen discovers that his wife Catherine is cheating on him with his partner. He reacts calmly and even encourages their meetings, thinking that this is the only way to not lose them both.

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.

Hélène and François are a perfect couple happily married for twelve years. But Hélène discovers psychoanalysis via a very handsome Dr. Kougloff, and he convinces her that the apparent well-balanced nature of her husband is in fact a cover for horrible tragedies.

Thia and Murelli, who live from car stunt shows, make ends meet by carrying out small burglaries. When Murelli's daughter, whom he has tried to keep away from his business falls in love with a young thug, her father feels he must help the couple by including the young man in a heist. Their scheme misfires and forces the group to set up a jailbreak, with unfortunate results.

Emile Magis, a modest employee, more or less ostracized by the others, would like only one thing, to be happy. Little by little he realizes that life in society is a matter of convention, lies and deception. When he has understood that cynicism rules the world, he decides to play by its untold rules and to take his revenge.