Le Bonheur 1965

François is a handsome young joiner who works for his uncle and enjoys a comfortable life in Fontenay-aux-Roses, a quiet Parisian suburb. He shares a warm home with his wife, Thérèse, a skilled dressmaker, and their two lively children, Gisou and Pierrot. The family keeps up a cheerful rhythm with regular outings to the woods and simple, affectionate routines that mark their days as content and close.

But there is a new spark in François’ life: Émilie, an attractive single woman who works at the post office, has her own flat, and bears a striking resemblance to Thérèse. Over the course of a summer, a feeling of happiness grows for him, a parallel warmth that sits alongside his love for his wife and children. On a woodland picnic, after the children nap, Thérèse asks why he has seemed unusually buoyant lately. He explains that his love for her and the kids remains, but the new happiness with Émilie has deepened it over the past month. Thérèse initially feels confusion and hurt, yet she suavely responds that she can accept the situation, and in a difficult moment, they share a private moment of intimacy.

In the aftermath, François wakes to a stark change: Thérèse is gone. He searches the house and discovers her drowned body, later recovered by anglers from a nearby lake. This tragedy ripples through the family and the community, casting a long shadow over the coming days and weeks.

After the funeral, life shifts in a decisive way. François, the children, his brother’s family, and his uncle and aunt embark on a Loire vacation, seeking respite and a change of scenery. Upon return, François seeks out Émilie, and she moves into the house, stepping into the duties that once belonged to Thérèse—caring for the children, managing daily tasks, and helping to weave a new rhythm into their household. Over the course of the autumn, the family gradually regains a sense of balance, and François finds himself enjoying the woods again and embracing the small pleasures of togetherness with a renewed sense of hope.