Résistance 2019

Berlin raid and the loss of Elsbeth's family

Nazi Brown Shirts burst into the home of a young Jewish girl, Elsbeth, in Berlin in 1938, killing her parents and shattering her early life. The event foreshadows the reach of persecution that will touch many children later in the story. The trauma sets a grim tone for the rising anti-Semitic horror of the period.

Marcel's cabaret dreams versus his father's shop

In Strasbourg in 1939, Marcel Marceau works in his father's butcher shop but longs for the arts. He performs impressions of Charlie Chaplin at a local cabaret, earning his father's disapproval while fueling his dream to become an artist. The performances establish his talent and his resolve to pursue art despite opposition.

Orphans arrive and find refuge

Georges brings a Scout troop of 123 Jewish orphans to Strasbourg, where the children take up residence in a castle nearby. The initial fear gives way to gradual adaptation as Marcel uses his humor to comfort and connect with them. The bond between the children and Marceau begins to form.

Love and resistance begin to intertwine

Marceau's bond with Emma deepens as they navigate the looming war and occupation. They become involved, together with Georges, in a fragile network that protects Jewish children and preserves hope. This alliance anchors their personal and political commitments.

Displacement and the resistance network expands

Following the invasion of Poland and the fall of France, the government relocates border populations and the Jewish children are distributed to churches and families. Marcel, Emma, and their cohorts continue to aid the children and maintain contact with Elsbeth. The need for covert help intensifies as the war tightens its grip.

Resistance dawns in earnest

As the war deepens, Marcel and Emma join the Jewish Resistance, coordinating safe houses and routes for children while evading German vigilance. The network grows more dangerous as the occupation tightens its grip on Strasbourg and nearby regions. They keep Elsbeth in their line of contact.

Klaus Barbie arrives in Lyon

In 1942, the notorious Klaus Barbie arrives in Lyon with the task of eradicating the Resistance. He enforces brutality and corruption, using bribery and executions to intimidate and dismantle networks. The city becomes a new center of peril for Marcel, Emma, and their allies.

New allies and a new stage for resistance

Marcel and Emma relocate their resistance work to Lyon, joined by Marcel's brother Alain and Emma's sister Mila. The new city becomes the center of danger but also the place where salvation efforts for Jewish children intensify. Their family ties strengthen the mission to save lives.

Alain's escape and a dangerous distraction

During a Nazi sweep of Lyon's railway hub, Alain narrowly escapes capture with Marcel's help. Marcel stages a daring distraction by burning a German soldier to create an opening for Alain to vanish. The act showcases the risky, improvised bravery of the resistance.

Mila's capture and torture

In a subsequent Gestapo roundup, Mila is captured and subjected to brutal interrogation. Barbie tortures Mila to death while using Emma as a pawn to extract information about the Resistance. The loss and betrayal deepen the group's resolve to protect the remaining children.

Emma's coerced collaboration and isolation

Emma survives by collaborating with the Gestapo, but the arrangement scars her and drives her to contemplate suicide. Marceau, torn by guilt and devotion, struggles to protect her and the remaining children. The betrayal fuels a renewed pledge to rescue the disappeared.

A daring plan: escape to Switzerland

Marceau and Emma, with Alain, escort a dozen Jewish children, including Elsbeth, on a pretend hiking trip toward Switzerland. They travel by SNCF train under disguise, attempting to keep their true mission hidden from Barbie's forces. The ruse hinges on maintaining calm under the persistent risk of discovery.

Barbie closes in at the border

Barbie and his SS troops close in at the last station before the Franco-Swiss border, forcing Emma to hide and trying to uncover the children's plan. Despite his interrogation, Barbie fails to uncover the true mission. The chase intensifies as dawn approaches the border crossing.

Emma is mortally wounded; the escape succeeds

Barbie fires a shot during the pursuit, mortally wounding Emma as the group crosses into Switzerland. Marcel and the children press on, devastated, but they ultimately reach safety behind the border. The escape marks a heartbreaking but triumphant rescue of the remaining children.