This is the story of Alice. Alice Bonnard, a pupil in class 4A of the secondary girls’ school in Saint-Sulvien. Through her eyes we see the film. The story is set during a summer in the sixties, the age of generation conficts. Alice spends her holiday with her parents in Les Landes. They have a saw-mill where Jim works. Business is not flourishing and Mr and Mrs Bonnard – imprisoned in their own pride – cannot tolerate the indifference and independence of Jim. Alice feels attracted to him, but she is so afraid of being ‘nothing’ in his eyes that she is not able to reveal her feelings to him. All she can do is look patiently at him. The silence however amplifies her inhibitions. Because the more often she meets him, the more difficult it is to say anything to him. (J.D.)
