Entre Nous 1983

Léna's internment and marriage offer

In 1942 France under Vichy rule, Léna, a young Jewish woman, is interned and faces deportation to Nazi Germany. Michel, one of the guards, secretly offers to save her by marrying her. She agrees, and their marriage becomes a lifeline shaped by wartime danger.

Escape over the Alps

Léna and Michel flee together, escaping on foot across the Alps toward Italy. They endure exhaustion, cold, and constant threat as they cross occupied territory. The escape binds them with a mix of desperation and resolve.

Post-war Lyon life begins

After the war, the couple settles in Lyon and starts rebuilding their life. Michel opens a garage, establishing himself in the local working-class community. Léna attempts to create stability for their family amidst the lingering shadows of war.

Family expands: two daughters

Léna gives birth to two daughters, strengthening the family bond around Michel's workshop. The daughters become the center of daily routine and future expectations. The household is a mix of hard work and affectionate family life.

Meeting Madeleine at a school event

At a school event in Lyon, Léna meets Madeleine, a fellow mother with a son. The two women quickly form a close friendship, sharing confidences and everyday concerns. Their husbands also become friends, though admiration hides underlying rivalries.

The bond between wives and envy among husbands

As the women grow closer, their husbands secretly feel jealous of the girls’ friendship. This tension begins to corrode their marriages without anyone naming it directly. The quiet competition foreshadows larger conflicts.

Madeleine's affair and Léna lends her flat

Madeleine starts an affair with her former art teacher, while Léna lends her flat to her friend to keep the affair discreet. The arrangement strains the circle and worsens trust among the couples. The scene underscores the fragility of the wives' friendship.

Lunchtime confrontation and rift

Michel comes home at midday and discovers the affair, hardening his stance against Madeleine. Léna's friendship with Madeleine splinters as a result, and the women’s joint plans suffer. The conflict exposes the cracks in their intertwined lives.

Dress shop plan and the exclusion condition

The friends plan to open a dress shop, and Michel offers to fund it, but only if Madeleine is excluded since she has gone to Paris. The conditional plan reveals the depth of distrust and the manipulation at play. The decision drives Madeleine onto a different path.

Léna's night train to Paris and the soldier

Léna travels by night train to visit Madeleine in Paris. During the journey she has a sexual encounter with a soldier, marking her first experience outside of Michel. The encounter unsettles her sense of fidelity and desire.

Paris night of dancing and a shared bed

In Paris, the two women dance, drink heavily at a nightclub, and end up sharing a bed. The trip becomes a turning point, intensifying their bond while complicating their marriages. The events in Paris echo the fragility of their relationships.

Madeleine’s fragility and hospitalisation

Back in France, Madeleine's fragility worsens and she is placed in a mental hospital. She is later released to live with her parents. The crisis exposes the limits of support among their circle and eclipses their plans.

The dress shop fiasco

When Léna visits Madeleine to show her the new dress shop, Michel arrives and smashes the shop in a fit of rage. The act shatters any remaining trust and ends any shared dream of collaboration. The confrontation seals the rift between the families.