Yves Gibeau

In the 1930s a young fellow, Simon Chalumet, is sent to a military school by his overbearing father, an ex-soldier who has little sympathy for his son's more gentle temperament, or for his interest in films.

In 1943, a young couple hides food intended to be sold on the black market in a haystack. Each of their trips in the countryside represents rare, exalting moments during which they can live in harmony with nature. But one afternoon, the situation brutally changes.

Amputated of a hand during the war, traumatized and having given up on a career as a runner, Stéphane has become a newspaper salesman. Heckel, his former trainer, finds him by chance and persuades him to resume his sporting activities. Stéphane starts competing again. His meeting with Gordon, a black American runner, was to prove decisive.