La provinciale (1981)

The story follows Christine, a young woman from Lorraine who decides to leave her hometown of Nancy. With a qualification as an industrial draughtswoman but tired of the lack of prospects in her area, she moves to Paris hoping to find a job suited to her skills and change her life. Once in Paris, Christine is quickly disillusioned. She faces precarious conditions: skilled jobs are scarce and competition is fierce. She encounters urban anonymity: she discovers the loneliness of big cities, in stark contrast to the closeness—sometimes stifling—of the province she comes from. She also faces social cynicism: to survive, she eventually accepts odd jobs that have nothing to do with her initial ambitions. Along the way, she befriends Claire, a woman of German origin who is also somewhat lost in the Parisian jungle. Together, they try to navigate a world where human relationships seem to be dictated by self-interest or the desire to dominate.