A LOVE TO HIDE ( French )

Visually superb, this film evokes the era so perfectly that at first it seems like a sort of Gallic 'Brideshead Revisited'. Handsome Phillipe works for the resistance in occupied WW2 France. His boyfriend, Jean, has had a relatively priveleged life as the youngest son in a family-run laundry. He is the apple of his parent's eye: to the chagrin of his mischievous big brother. With the influx of uniforms, business is booming, so the older boy is keen to show his elderly folks that he is a worthy heir and successor. Their Jewish competitors having been closed down, one by one the Jewish customers also fail to collect their laundry. He spots the opportunity to score a little contraband and lots of francs: bringing the family much relief from wartime privations. Unscrupulous characters are only too pleased to pay him for inside info about any newly vacated properties. However when Sarah, a Jewish childhood friend seeks refuge, the brothers give her work in the shop. The jealous older boy falls in love with her, but she is more interested in Jean's dashing boyfriend and his work for the underground. Meanwhile, the Nazis are becoming decidedly less tolerant of the homosexuals in their ranks. Even though our characters are all living dangerous lives, the conclusions are more shocking than anyone can believe.