Synopsis

Vichy, 1942. From the church pulpit, Father Charles urges the faithful to report stateless Jews to the gendarmerie, who must be removed for the good of the country. Constantin Millon, a printer, returns home troubled: is this really the right thing to do? His friends at the bistro are sure it is: without Jews, everyone will be better off, there will be more work and more money for everyone, and France will be returned to the French. But Constantin, who has never been interested in politics, begins to feel a subtle unease, which finally explodes into an open argument with his wife, Rose, when their beloved daughter, Jeannine, reveals that she has a very dear Jewish friend, Ester. Can he continue to see her? Rose has no doubts: of course not. But her husband hesitates, the small crack that has opened in his mind widens as rumors of the treatment meted out to the Jews arrive. Until Jeannine disappears, and the suspicion that she and Ester were rounded up and deported to Germany slowly becomes certain. Is it still possible to save her? Now Constantin, the man incapable of impetus and who defines himself as "a chess piece of uncertain color, neither black nor white, a piece out of the game," has been touched by History and can no longer stand by and watch. He must act. And his encounter with an old priest with wavering faith will be crucial to his future. The story of the printer Millon is the story of a quest and a realization that are the opposite of heroism: improvised and reluctant, full of very human doubts. But precisely for this reason, it is a compelling story that speaks to all times: because it masterfully depicts the uncertainties and fears of all in the face of Evil, the temptation to surrender, the consequences of courage.