La Joie de vivre

Serge Perrin is 23 and unusually happy at the prospect of spending the rest of his life in jail for a series of crimes he did not commit. This black French comedy attempts to explain via flashback the twisted reasons why an innocent youth would so cavalierly throw away his freedom.

A brilliant chocolatier who's afraid of making eye contact meets an heir who can't touch others — but somehow, they're immune to each other.

Marie Heurtin is born both blind and deaf. Sister Marguerette wins her trust and teaches her how to express herself.

Dimitri joins La Maison, a place where people are welcomed for whom medicine can not do anything anymore. There he meets Suzanne, a volunteer who is dedicated to supporting people at the end of their lives.

Leo Cramps, 30, is illiterate. One day, having failed to read instructions, he is the victim of an accident at the factory where he is a worker. Immobilized, he meets his neighbor, a nurse and a single mother passionate about reading.

With his beloved chocolate business turning sour, socially awkward boss Jean-René decides to enlist an extra pair of hands. Enter Angélique, a chronically shy young woman who shares Jean- René's passion for all things sugar and sweet. She is the answer to his prayers, in ways he didn t realise. Because while he is looking for a sales rep to keep his sinking ship afloat, she is in fact a gifted, albeit covert, chocolatière extraordinaire whose treats are legendary around town. As the pair become more and more acquainted it is not long before chocolate is not the only sensual element in the air.

Marie-Line is juggling between odd jobs to support her agoraphobic father. Despite the precariousness of their lifestyle, she remains a lively and cheerful young woman. Yet, after a series of unfortunate events, she is fired from her job and sentenced by a judge to a small penalty. A few days later, this very judge will be in a position to help her get back on track – a chance for Marie-Line but also the beginning of an unlikely friendship.

A 10-year-old girl lives in post WWII rural France with her parents, who are about to divorce. Her older sister leaves home to finish school, and the young girl is left with a mysterious, almost silent housekeeper. Being afraid of the dark, and of other "phenomenoms" including a haunted château nearby, she curiously accepts a stranger she finds in her mansion's barn. This fact contradicts her fearful nature, but fulfills her loneliness. The stranger has run away from a nearby psychiatric clinic, where her father was treating the stranger. She hides the stranger, protects him, and he becomes her best friend. Is this girl searching for true companionship, coming of age, or is she asserting her independence for the first time in her short life?

During a winter storm, Ursus offers shelter to two orphans, Gwynplaine and Déa; some years later, they are still living together. Gwynplaine has become a famous star, but his success threatens his relationships with Déa and Ursus.

Antoine Toussaint is a famous, disillusioned 70 year-old crooner. On a train to Geneva where he plans to end his life, Antoine meets Victoire, a good-natured fan with a few loose wires. This unlikely encounter thwarts all Antoine’s plans, for better or worse!

David, a young farmer from Cantal, has just had an idea: to save his farm from bankruptcy, he is going to set up a cabaret on the farm. The show will be on stage and on the plate, with good local products. He is sure, it can only work. His relatives, his mother and especially his grandfather, are more skeptical.

Lyon, 1960s. Emile is twelve years old. His father is a hero. He says he is a judo champ, a parachutist, a soccer player and even a personal advisor to General de Gaulle. Now he wants to save French Algeria! Fascinated and proud, Emile willingly follows his father in missions of utmost danger: tailing, spying, delivering top-secret letters. Emile carries out his orders in all seriousness. He even recruits Luca, a new classmate, into his secret combat. But what if the father’s exploits were all phony, and far too dangerous for children?

A fifty-year-old man suffers from a sore back. All the world's doctors, radiologists, and oesteopaths can do nothing for him : the roots of his illness are pyschological. But what should he change about his work, his wife and his family in order to get better ?

Lucie, 25, dreams of becoming a dancer, even though her birth disability confines her to a wheelchair. She applies for a talent show audition, but the judges' rejection shatters her hopes. Impulsively, she throws herself down the stairs, earning her a one-way ticket to the rehabilitation center. There, she meets Alexis, a former star dancer, who agrees to train her. Faced with an immeasurable number of obstacles, but driven by a lust for life, dreams, and extraordinary independence, will Lucie succeed in realizing her dream and becoming a professional dancer?

John Dubury, a fifty-year-old man disappointed by his life, sees his wife die from a fatal fall while they are on vacation together. And while an accident is initially thought to be the cause of death, suspicions soon turn to John... especially since a witness claims to have seen him push his wife.