Marie (Laure Calamy, of Call My Agent! fame) is a single mother and sex worker in Strasbourg; independent in her private life and unapologetic about her profession, she is an active member of a cooperative that campaigns for greater respect and police protection. Adrien (Nissim Renard), her aimless and apathetic seventeen-year-old son, has just been expelled from school, and, pessimistic about his prospects, is considering a career in the armed forces. Hope is not lost as the boy has an aptitude for cooking, and with the help of her colleagues, Marie schools him for the entrance exam for a prestigious culinary institute that is willing to overlook his underachieving ways. The tuition fees, however, are beyond the scope of her earnings, leading Marie to consider a course of action with potentially dangerous consequences.

Notes by David O’Mahony