When Love Digs a Hole 2018

Miron, a young delinquent living a party-filled life in 1990s Montreal, struggles in school. His parents, David and Thérèse, both university professors, decide to pull him away to the countryside, hoping the quiet can sharpen his focus and help him finish high school. The remote setting also exposes cracks in their marriage as the days pass, with old resentments surfacing under the heat of summer.

After a week at the cottage, Miron meets Florence, a 73-year-old neighbor, and what begins as a chance encounter quickly becomes something deeper. It’s described as love at first sight, a surprising bond that crosses a 55-year age gap. As their relationship grows, Miron’s emotional life takes a turn for the better, and his mother — who homeschools him — offers steady support that lifts his academic progress.

Meanwhile, the couple’s romance heightens the tension at home, and his parents grow increasingly worried. They forbid the relationship, and the strain spills into the household: the father even locks Miron in his room with a strict night curfew. Yet the young man remains resolute, determined to carry the relationship forward despite the risk of punishment.

Driven by love, Miron crafts a bold plan: a tunnel dug from his own room wall to Florence’s house, a clandestine lifeline that makes daily meetings possible. After days of relentless labor, the tunnel works, and the pair can meet in secret. In time, the rift between the parents begins to mend as the couple’s romance persists, a quiet sign that personal loyalties can shift.

As the vacation ends and the family heads back to Montreal, Miron helps carry the luggage and then makes a final, decisive escape through the tunnel, choosing to elope with Florence and chase a future built on their stubborn, compassionate love.