Au revoir les enfants

In Paris in 1944, eleven-year-old Julien Quentin and his brother François say goodbye to their mother, who is forced to be separated from them due to the war and the situation that is becoming increasingly critical in the city. The little one is particularly fond of the young woman and suffers from this detachment. The two brothers arrive at the Jesuit college where they meet other wealthy and reckless boys: in short, they all resume the carefree life of more or less studious students. Among them are placed by the rector, Father Jean, three slightly older boys, one of whom, Jean Bonnet, shy, mysterious, very sensitive, immediately attracts the curiosity of Julien, who is the leader of the group. The boys get annoyed, they harbor more or less obvious dislikes, they feel the first disturbances of puberty. The teachers try to be understanding enough and do their best to educate the students in a Christian way. Between Julien and Jean slowly a deep friendship is born: the first teaches the other tricks in games and inserts him fully into the group of companions; the second, more gifted and intelligent, shows him how easy it is to play the piano and lends him some interesting books. Meanwhile, life at the boarding school goes on normally: funny films are shown, people go to the municipal toilets to take a shower, more or less pleasant jokes are played. Unfortunately, food is starting to run short, the cold is making itself felt, raids on public places begin, bombings are increasingly frequent and children and teachers are forced to go to dark, damp and smelly shelters. Julien understands that his friend Jean is not a Catholic like him but a Jew and his real name is another; he will soon realize what it means to be a Jew and the dangers his companion and all those who protect him run.