Les petits ruisseaux (2010)

In Mazé, a small town in Anjou on the banks of the Loire, Émile Garreau, a retired widower, leads a quiet life. He drives around slowly in his Mini-Comtesse. Almost every day, he goes fishing with his friend Edmond Bello, who has been divorced for ten years. Edmond tells him he won’t be coming fishing the next day because he has to take care of some administrative paperwork. Edmond has a cat. Émile meets up with his buddies at the bar “Le Penalty,” where everyone tells their stories. The butcher says he saw Edmond in Angers with a woman. The next day, while fishing, Edmond admits he lied and reveals that when he doesn’t go fishing, he goes on romantic dates, which almost always end in sex. Edmond invites Émile to eat at his home. He shows him his secret: his painting studio. Edmond paints pictures of nude women. He tells him he wants to enjoy life. Recently, he met Lucie at a dance hall, and they have been seeing each other regularly; he is considering becoming a couple with her. Émile is shaken by these revelations and wonders whether he should try doing what his friend does, but he is haunted by memories of his late wife, Jeanne. A few days later, while painting to music in his studio, Edmond suddenly feels ill and collapses. At Edmond’s funeral, Émile sees a woman sitting alone whom he doesn’t know and guesses that she is Lucie. The group of friends then goes to play boule de fort. Émile goes over to Lucie, who is waiting at the bus shelter. They get to know each other, and he drives her to her home in Angers. Edmond’s son burns his father’s paintings. Émile manages to discreetly rescue two of them from the flames at the last moment. Émile has hallucinations: he sees the women he encounters naked. His doctor can find nothing wrong with him. In Angers, Émile runs into Lucie by chance. They go for tea and chat, and become friends. Lucie gives him her mobile phone number and suggests they meet again to go dancing. Émile’s son comes to visit. He has bought a new caravan. His wife is expecting twins. Émile turns down their offer to take him on holiday with them and reveals that he has met a woman. They are delighted by the news. Émile goes dancing with Lucie. She then invites him to have tea at her apartment. He is about to declare his love for her, but she talks to him about Edmond. Émile then sees his friend’s naked ghost beside Lucie, panics, and rushes out. Émile goes to lay flowers on Jeanne’s grave and Edmond’s, then sets off alone in his car without telling anyone where he is going. He starts smoking again. He sleeps under the stars. He has decided to return to his childhood home in Corrèze. When he arrives, he sees a naked woman on horseback, thinks he is hallucinating again, and faints. He discovers that the building is occupied by a group of young hippie outcasts...